Nagpur: What first appeared to be a tragic fall in a bathroom has turned into a chilling case of fratricide. Police have booked four family members and a minor for allegedly murdering 40-year-old Sudhir Pandharinath Khandare and disguising it as an accidental death at their Shiv Nagar home in Mankapur.

Sudhir was discovered lying in a pool of blood inside the bathroom of Plot No. 82, Eros Society, between 1 am and 7 am on September 2. Relatives initially told police he had slipped and hit his head on a tap, prompting an accidental death entry.

However, the post-mortem report revealed fatal head injuries inconsistent with a simple fall. Investigators concluded that Sudhir was deliberately attacked. Following detailed inquiries, Mankapur Police booked his elder brothers Yogesh (55) and Rajesh (43), mother Kaushalyabai (70), sister-in-law Rupa Yogesh Khandare (52), and a minor relative.

A murder case has been registered under Sections 103(1), 238, 240, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Officers are probing the motive behind the alleged family conspiracy while continuing forensic and witness examinations.