A pall of loom has descended on ‘Malayil’ house in Mundakayam in Kerala's Kottayam district, after the tragic death of Anitha, 37, her sons Mathew George, 10, and Philip George, 6, on Friday morning in Melbourne, Australia, following an apparent blaze at their home.
Detectives Down Under confirmed that 'a family of four from South India lived at the property' and remains had been found, but the damage was so great it would take time to confirm how many people died.
Anitha’s husband George Philip flew back to Melbourne at four am on Friday morning from Kochi, unaware of the tragedy. George, a software consultant, was on a ten-day leave to Kerala, to see his aged mother.
Detective Sergeant Jeff Maher from Australia police has revealed 'a note' was found on a car parked in the driveway of the home.
"The note will obviously form a key part (of the investigation)," he said.
"Murder-suicide is one of the possibilities we're looking at at the moment but... we've got to keep an open mind because we're not in possession of all the facts."
Neighbours told reporters they heard hammering, followed by a scream, as flames engulfed the home in the early hours of the morning.
Anitha, a resident of Thevara in Kochi had been married to George Philip for thirteen years.