US: Cops hunt for Indian-origin man who killed family

An unemployed Indian origin man in United States allegedly killed his wife and two children brutally in their home in Novi town in Detroit.

The bodies of 37-year-old Jayalakshmi, 14-year-old Tejasvi and 12-year-old Siva Kumar were found in a pool of blood with massive head and neck injuries on the first floor of the family's two-story apartment in Wharton, police said.

Lakshminivasa Rao Nerusu (42), Jayalakshmi's husband and father of Tejasvi and Siva, is absconding after the incident, Novi Police Chief David Molloy said, adding that an 'international man-hunt has been launched to nab him'.

The incident comes barely three weeks after an unemployed NRI Karthik Rajaram (45) allegedly killed his wife, three sons and mother-in-law before fatally shooting himself after suffering huge losses in the stock market collapse in Los Angeles.

"The crime scene can only be described as brutal and horrific," Molloy said, adding the three died from "massive head and neck injuries, likely caused by a knife".

"The three had defensive wounds on their arms and hands as if they attempted to fend off blows," he said.

The incident came to light when the brother of the man, police are calling a person of interest in the deaths, went to the Novi police on Monday, saying he had not heard from the family in several days, The Detroit News has reported.

Police then investigated and found the bodies of all three in their flat when opened the door.

The family had lived in Michigan for about two years and had previously lived in Texas and Illinois. Lakshminivasa was unemployed, Molloy said, adding he was not sure what brought the family to Michigan.

Officials from Singh Development Co., the company that manages the apartment complex where the family lived, did not respond to calls seeking comment.

While a motive for the crime is unknown, Molloy said that officials believe the killer or killers knew the family because there was no sign of forced entry and the doors to the apartment were locked.

No one in the neighbourhood, the officer said, heard any fighting or struggle.

The victim's neighbours said they rarely saw Jayalakshmi  a stay-at-home mother  and her husband but would occasionally see their children coming home from school.

Tejasvi was a student at Walled Lake Western High School and Siva Kumar attended Geisler Middle School.

"We are all shocked," said Penny Davis, who lives next door to the family.

"It's real friendly here. There are a lot of families, a lot of kids. I didn't see them much at all. They were really quiet and kept to themselves."