The victims have been identified as as 51-year-old Rajiv Warikoo, his wife, 47-year-old Shilpa Kotha, and their 16-year-old daughter, Mahek Warikoo.
Ottawa: Police in the Ontario province of Canada announced on Friday that a “suspicious” fire claimed the lives of an Indian-origin couple and their teenage daughter. According to a Peel Police press release, a house at the intersection of Big Sky Way and Van Kirk Drive in Brampton caught fire on March 7. The victims have been identified as as 51-year-old Rajiv Warikoo, his wife, 47-year-old Shilpa Kotha, and their 16-year-old daughter, Mahek Warikoo.
Investigators discovered what appeared to be human remains inside the destroyed house after the fire was put out, but at the time, it was impossible to determine how many people had died. They also revealed that the family resided at the address where the fire occurred. Peel police Constable Taryn Young stated that the fire has been deemed suspicious by the authorities, as confirmed by the Ontario Fire Marshal. The exact cause of the fire remains unknown, posing a challenge for investigators due to the extensive damage caused by the blaze.
“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,” the the CTV news channel quoted Peel police Constable Taryn Young as saying.
“When we came out, the house was on fire. So sad. Within a few hours, everything was down to the ground,” the report quoted Yousaf as saying.
In a press release, police said they are continuing to investigate the deaths of the three family members and urged anyone with information to come forward. “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.
Neighbours of the deceased family, such as Kenneth Yousaf, expressed shock and disbelief at the tragic event. Yousaf, who had known the family for 15 years, mentioned that they were well-integrated into the community, and he had never observed any issues with them. The news of the fire was initially brought to his attention by a loud noise heard by a family member, indicating the severity of the situation.
The loss of the Warikoo-Kotha family has deeply affected the local community, prompting an outpouring of support and condolences. As investigations is underway to determine the cause of the fire, authorities are working to unravel the circumstances surrounding this devastating incident.