The police suspect that a state of penury along with a property dispute with other relatives drove Umesh Chandra Sharma, 48, a clerk for a Patiala House Courts lawyer, and his family to suicide, about three hours before their bodies were discovered.

A letter written by one of the children to a friend, alleging pressure from indifferent relatives, has been recovered. The victims had also scribbled the names of three persons -- including that of Sharma's elder brother -- on a wall inside the house, holding them responsible for their deaths.

The police have, however, ruled out any foul play after preliminary investigations. The incident was reported when Sharma's relatives came to the house, near ghat no. six in the Kashmere Gate police station area, last evening and knocked on their door several times. But they failed to get a response.

Sharma's wife, Mithilesh, had reportedly visited the same relatives earlier in the day, saying that it was the last time she would ever do so. Unsure of what she meant, the relatives decided to visit the family.

The police reached the spot around 10 p.m. and found the bodies of Sharma and his son Parul, 17, on the floor, and that of Chand's daughters Shikha, 15, and Nidhi, 13, on a charpoy. The bodies had been covered with shawls. Mithilesh was was found hanging from the ceiling fan. Each of the bodies was splattered with blood as the victims had slashed their wrists and ankles, probably with a blade. There were also signs that they had consumed poison or drugged themselves.

Mithilesh, however, had injuries only on her ankles. She is believed to have hung herself from the ceiling fan to ensure that she died. According to the police, it is still not clear whether each of the victims had killed himself or herself. The possibility that Mithilesh had killed her children and her husband before hanging herself is also being considered. A local resident, who was present when the bodies were taken out, said that there was a foul smell inside the house and some of the bodies were swollen. Blood was splattered all across the room.

Sharma was reportedly suffering from serious eye disorders for the past few months, and seldom went to work. He also underwent a cataract operation last month, which is believed to have left him virtually penniless.

The police said that Sharma's only other source of income was the rent he collected from a dozen tenants in his house. But even that stopped after his eldest brother Ramesh Chandra Sharma -- a former legal advisor to the New Delhi Municipal Council -- intervened.

Though the property at Yamuna Bazaar Ghat originally belonged to the brothers' aunt who died six years ago, Ramesh Sharma is believed to have claimed that the house belonged to him because the aunt had adopted him.

Sharma's relatives, on the other hand, refused to admit that Sharma was in a state of penury. They claimed that there seemed to be nothing wrong with the family whenever they visited them. Neither were there any signs of depression which could have prompted the Sharmas to enter into a suicide pact.Rani Sharma, one of Umesh Sharma's three sisters who reached the Yamuna Ghat Bazaar house this morning, told Express Newsline that she was not aware of any dispute between the brothers.

``Of course, we do not maintain close contacts with Ramesh because of personal reasons. But all our brothers are well settled and there is no way that there could be a dispute over money or even property.''

Among Sharma's four other brothers, one is an engineer, another a bank officer and two others are employed with the Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Board.

While Ramesh Sharma is yet to visit the spot or meet the police, all the tenants at the Yamuna Bazaar Ghat house are being questioned at the Kashmere Gate Police Station.