The relatives said that both Singh and Parihar had careers in the IT field and Singh worked as a lead APIX engineer for Ness Digital Engineering according to his LinkedIn profile.

New York: An Indian-origin family of four has been found dead in New Jersey in what officials suspect to be a case of murder-suicide. The victims have been identified as Tej Pratap Singh, 43 and Sonal Parihar, 42 alongside their 10-year-old son, and 6-year-old daughter who were found dead inside their Titus Lane residence in Plainsboro at around 4:30pm on Wednesday, the police officials informed.

Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief Eamon Blanchard of the Plainsboro Police Department announced on Thursday that a homicide is currently under investigation.

“On the evening of October 4, authorities received a 911 call requesting a welfare check at a residence in Plainsboro. Upon their arrival, the Plainsboro Police Department discovered four dead victims in the house,” they said in a joint statement.

Family members, who gathered outside the home, told WCBS TV that the parents were a happy couple and could not believe what happened. The station said that both worked in the information technology sector, one of them in human resources.

The relatives said that both Singh and Parihar had careers in the IT field and Singh worked as a lead APIX engineer for Ness Digital Engineering according to his LinkedIn profile.

“This tragedy remains under investigation, and autopsies are being performed today,” the police said, adding that an initial investigation determined that there is no threat to the public. Anyone with information or surveillance footage of the area is asked to call the Plainsboro Police Department.

“Please be assured that this is an isolated occurrence and there are no additional concerns for the safety and well-being of the community related to this incident,”  Chief Eamon Blanchard, Director of Public Safety said.

As of Thursday morning, the family’s home on Titus Lane still had crime scene tape posted around the lawn, as footage from News 12 New Jersey showed. The family’s remains were discovered when a relative called for a welfare check. At the time, police said they were looking into the tragedy as a possible murder-suicide.

Neighbours described the family as friendly and said they could often be seen walking around the quiet street. A neighbour who asked not to be named said she had been friendly with the family for more than a decade.

The woman said her daughter usually meets the 6-year-old girl at the bus stop to ride to school together every morning. Hours before the family was found, the girl didn’t show up.

“It was weird for me to not see her in the morning,” said the neighbour. “They were such a sweet family.” The neighbour said she texted Parihar later that morning but never received a reply.