Mother and twin daughters found dead in house were strangled

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-32749295

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A mother and her twin daughters found dead at a house were strangled, a post-mortem examination has found.

Shighi Kotuvala, 37, and 13-year-old sisters Niya and Neha Rethishkumar were discovered in Chadwell Heath, east London, on Tuesday afternoon.

Their father, Pullarkattil Rethish Kumar, 44, died by hanging, the examination found.

He had been missing from the house and was found at Woodford Reservoir in Walthamstow.

The Metropolitan Police said officers were initially called to the property on Monday night after concerns were raised about the family's welfare.

There was no response nor any sign of a disturbance at the house so they left.

They returned on Tuesday and broke into the property and found the bodies of the woman and two girls.

Det Supt Kenny McDonald said: "At this stage in our ongoing investigation we are not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.

"We are making extensive inquiries to trace next of kin, who we believe to be outside of the UK."

The Met said as part of its "routine" it had referred its response to the Directorate of Professional Standards and the Independent Police Complaints Commission.