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KOCHI: The police team investigating the mysterious deaths of a senior Customs officer from Jharkhand, his mother, and his sister has intensified its probe to determine the exact cause of their deaths.

The deceased have been identified as Maneesh Vijay (43), an IRS officer and additional commissioner with Central Excise and Customs in Kochi, his sister Shalini Vijay, and their mother, Shakuntala Agarwal.

According to police sources, Maneesh’s sister Shalini had recently received a court summon directing her to appear before a court in Jharkhand on February 15 in connection with a case investigated by the CBI. She was an accused in the case which pertains to irregularities in her appointment in the Jharkhand government service, sources added.

Maneesh and Shalini were found hanging, while Shakuntala was discovered dead on her bed, her body draped in a white cloth with flowers sprinkled over it.

According to the police, preliminary findings suggest that the siblings died by suicide.

However, the exact cause of their mother’s death can be ascertained only after the autopsy, a senior officer said.

Police have found that the Maneesh had purchased flowers on February 14.

Police also found an entry in Maneesh’s diary dated February 15, instructing that certain documents be handed over to his younger sister, who is currently in Dubai, the officer said.

Police added that their younger sister is expected to arrive in Kochi on Saturday, following which the autopsy will be conducted.

While investigators are exploring all angles, they have not yet established a direct link between the deaths and the case.

"If the mother’s death is found to be natural, the siblings’ suicides could be due to grief. Right now, our focus is to confirm the cause of death through the autopsy,” said an officer.

Maneesh Vijay, an additional commissioner (GST), was residing at the Central Excise Staff Quarters at Kakkanadu, here.

The officer had been on leave for a few days, but when he failed to return to work, colleagues visited his residence on Thursday night.

Upon detecting a foul smell, they looked through an open window and spotted one body hanging. Police were immediately alerted, and upon entering the house, they found another body in another room.

Subsequent searches led to the recovery of another body lying on the bed in another room, police said.

The family had been residing in the quarters for the past year and a half but reportedly kept to themselves, maintaining limited interaction with neighbours, police added.