Ghaziabad Police Recover Mobile Phone in Tragic Sisters' Suicide Case
In a significant development in the heartbreaking case of three sisters who allegedly died by suicide in Ghaziabad, police have recovered a mobile phone that belonged to one of the victims. This marks the first potential digital lead in an investigation that has so far relied heavily on accounts from the family and other witnesses.
Phone Seized from Electronics Shop in Shalimar Garden
The handset had been sold by the girls' father approximately fifteen days before their tragic deaths and was seized from an electronics shop located in Shalimar Garden. Police officials confirmed that the phone has been sent for comprehensive forensic examination with the goal of retrieving deleted data, including applications, browsing history, and social media activity.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (trans-Hindon) Nimish Patil provided crucial details about the device. He revealed that the father, Chetan Kumar, had purchased two smartphones about six months ago for his eldest daughter and her 14-year-old half-sister. The intention behind these purchases was reportedly to help the girls gain popularity as YouTubers.
"One phone was sold about three months ago, and the second just 15 days before the incident," DCP Patil stated during a briefing with reporters.
Forensic Analysis Aims to Recover Deleted Digital Footprint
The recovered phone had been sold for Rs 15,000 and was still in the possession of the shop owner when police arrived at the store on Monday. Investigators noted that all crucial data appears to have been deliberately deleted before the phone was sold.
"We have sent it to a forensic lab to recover deleted content, including social media accounts and apps," Patil explained, adding that parallel efforts are underway to trace the second handset through surveillance methods.
Law enforcement officials believe these phones could provide vital insights into several key questions:
- What kind of online content were the sisters consuming regularly?
- Were they in communication with anyone outside their immediate family circle?
- How deeply immersed were they in social media platforms and online communities?
Police have emphasized that understanding the girls' digital footprint is absolutely critical to reconstructing the circumstances that led up to their untimely deaths.
Tragic Incident and Background of the Three Sisters
The three sisters—aged 16, 14, and 12—were discovered lying next to each other on the premises of their residential society on February 4, directly beneath their ninth-floor apartment window. They were rushed to a nearby hospital but were declared dead upon arrival.
Investigations have revealed that the girls had largely lived in isolation since the Covid-19 pandemic, having stopped attending school and remaining disconnected from peers. They reportedly spent most of their time consuming online content centered on Korean culture and had even launched a YouTube channel focused on K-dramas and animated characters.
This channel managed to gather over 2,000 followers before being deleted approximately ten days before their deaths. Officers indicated that the channel was removed after their father objected to what he perceived as their growing fixation with Korean culture.
Father's Account and Disturbing Behavioral Patterns
Chetan Kumar allegedly told investigators that his daughters were "living in their own world" and frequently spoke about traveling to Korea after watching reels and other social media content.
About three weeks before their deaths, the girls were taken to a private tutor. During these sessions, they introduced themselves using Korean names—Maria, Aliza, and Cindy—and claimed they had been adopted from Korea and China. The tutor informed police that the sisters demonstrated extreme academic difficulties, struggling with basic calculations and even recognizing numbers or copying letters from textbooks.
"They had not been going to school since Covid and didn't have books. When I tried basic additions and multiplications, they couldn't recognise numbers," the tutor recounted, noting that home assignments were consistently left incomplete and the girls showed minimal academic focus.
When questioned about their lack of preparation, the girls repeatedly insisted they had been adopted from China and Korea—a claim their father later connected to their obsession with Korean culture. Disturbed by their condition and lack of progress, the tutor discontinued lessons and returned the fees around twenty days before the tragic incident.
Ongoing Investigation Awaits Forensic Results
Police have confirmed that the tutor's detailed account has been formally added to the case file as investigators await forensic inputs from the seized mobile phone. The recovery of this device represents a potentially crucial breakthrough in a case that has puzzled authorities and devastated the community.
As forensic experts work to extract deleted data from the phone, Ghaziabad police continue their multifaceted investigation, combining digital evidence with witness testimonies to piece together the final days and motivations of the three sisters whose lives ended so tragically.
