Indian-Origin Family Of Three Killed In Mysterious Fire At Canada Home

An Indian-origin couple and their teenage daughter were killed in a "mysterious" fire at their home in Ontario, Canada. Police said that the incident occurred on March 7, however, their completely charred bodies were identified over a week later as 51-year-old Rajiv Warikoo, 47-year-old Shilpa Kotha, and their daughter, 16-year-old Mahek. They were found dead in their home on Big Sky Way and Van Kirk Drive. Police Constable Taryn Young of Peel Police believes that the fire was not accidental and described it as "suspicious". Investigators are on the lookout for all evidence to ascertain the cause.

Police collected statements from neighbours and witnesses who recounted that they heard a loud explosion before they saw the house engulfed in flames. The house was reportedly burnt down to the ground within hours, witnesses said.

Family Killed In Mysterious Fire

Although the incident was initially reported as a residential fire, Peel Police said that the case does not look like an accident. Constable Young told local news channel CTV, "At this time, we are investigating this with our homicide bureau, and we are deeming this as suspicious as the Ontario Fire Marshal has deemed that this fire was not accidental."

According to witnesses, they heard a loud bang and saw the house belonging to the Indian-origin family caught up in flames on March 7. "When we came out, the house was on fire. So sad. Within a few hours, everything was down to the ground," said Kenneth Yousaf, a neighbour of the deceased family.

After the fire was put out, the police located human remains at the site but were not certain about how many individuals were killed. "While examining the scene, investigators made an unfortunate discovery when they located what was believed to be human remains within the destroyed house," Peel Police said in a statement. 

Following investigations, the deceased persons were identified as the Warikoo family-- Rajiv, Shilpa Kotha, and Mahek. Investigations to find the cause of the fire are underway. "The circumstances surrounding the house fire remains the focus of an active investigation, and anyone with information or video footage (dashcam or otherwise) is urged to contact Homicide detectives," police said.

Reportedly, Rajiv Warikoo was a volunteer with the Toronto Police until 2016. The couple's daughter, 16-year-old Mahek, was a footballer whose coach remembered her as an "exceptional talent on the field with the potential to secure scholarships at prestigious universities across North America."