Hyderabad: The mystery surrounding the suspicious death of four members of a family in the heart of Nalgonda town has become a challenge for the investigators to crack.

Shaik Sultan (45), Haseena (38), their children Muzammil (20) and their 14-year-old daughter have been living in Telangana Colony in Nalgonda town. Sultan sold bags in Prakasam Bazar, Haseena was a private school teacher, and Muzammil was an AC technician, while his younger sister was studying in Class 8.

Their bodies were discovered on Monday morning (June 22) by their friend, who had gone to visit her. A strong stench from the house compelled him to call the police.

Police broke open the main door and found Haseena’s lifeless body on the bed and the other three family members lying near the bathroom.

All the bodies were in a highly decomposed state.

Police found the almirah open and things scattered everywhere. There were bloodstains on the walls and floor. Preliminary observations suggested that the daughter’s head had been repeatedly smashed against a wall. Sultan’s body was found lying motionless on the floor.

Police suspect the incident happened on June 19, between 10 and 11 pm. Suspicion also points out a theft case as the almirah was found open and the things inside the house were scattered everywhere. Police also suspect that the crime may have involved more than one or two perpetrators and are probing the possibility of a larger group being involved.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem.