Atlanta, GA, Sikh family found dead in apparent murder-suicide
“The bodies of Shindiver Grover, 52, his wife Damanjit, 47, and their two sons, Sartag, 12 and Gurtej, 5, were found in their first-floor apartment in Johns Creek, Ga., at around 11:30 a.m. Monday, according to local reports.”
(Source: NY Daily News. Photo credit: CBS Atlanta)
Tragic news broke today that a Sikh family in Atlanta, Georgia, was found dead in their home. The bodies of father Shindiver Grover (52), mother Damanjit Grover (47) and their two sons, Sartaj (12), and Gurtej (5), were discovered in their apartment when Damanjit did not report for work on Monday.
Police are still investigating what is called a “complicated” crime scene, but believe it was a murder-suicide:
The nature of the murder – the city’s first since it was incorporated in 2006 – was troubling to even the most senior investigators, [Johns Creek police Chief Ed Densmore] said.
“We are all human. We’re all parents. We have families,” Densmore said, according to local CBS News.
“You deal with something like this, it will take a little bit out of you, of course.”
Few details have been released at this point. Prayers for the departed souls and condolences are offered to those who knew the family.
While we are still learning about the tragedy, Sikhs in the United States who are seeking resources to deal with domestic issues can contact the Sikh Family Center, who provides a confidential “culturally specific peer-counseling and non-emergency support for community members in Punjabi and English.” The Sikh Family Center message line can be reached at (408) 800-SEVA or (408) 800-7382.
For more immediate needs, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available in 170 languages at 1−800−799−SAFE (7233). In case of emergency, always first call 911.
[Cross-posted on American Turban]
6 Responses to “Atlanta, GA, Sikh family found dead in apparent murder-suicide”
This is terribly sad news. Really sad. I can't help wondering, is there something about us that makes us so prone to suicide ? I say this not only because of the plethora of suicides in Punjab but also because of something I read in a British newspaper not long ago. The news article stated that the mainline railway station at Southall is known as 'suicide central' because there have been more suicides at that one station than all the other national railway stations added together. Most of those have been cases of Sikh women throwing themselves in front of a moving train. Now I don't know if Sikh suicides occur at a greater rate than non-Sikh suicides but the occurrences of the last few years have led me to believe that Sikhs tend to want to in the most extreme way possible………..possibly with a desire to let others know how extreme their dukh was. Why is this ? Given the beauty of our faith and the contentment it brings one would think we would be the happiest of all folks so I can only imagine it is the cultural Punjabi trait of making a public song and dance of things that is to blame. Regardless, it is a very sad state of affairs and I think more needs to be done about educating our people about coping with stress and giving each other support. Very sad.
I don't know if 'other communities' are just as bad Tejinder. In Britain, for example, Sikh Punjabi females are at leat a hundred times more likely to kill themselves than Muslim Punjabi females. As a fairly old established community there has been much research published in Briatin over the years regarding depression and south Asians.
I think we can take it as a given that black people are far less likely to kill themselves so if it comes down to being between Sikhs and white people I would guess you are right, they have a similar oif not greater rate of suicide. The difference though, is in how they choose to die. The former is far more likely to quietly go with an overdose pf over the counter medicines. The Sikh is far more likely to make a public spectacle of it. The Sikh's suicide then, is usually not just about being unable to cope with personal pain but a very public desire to let the world know how deep that pain was. Hence the Sikh suicides tend to be particularly morbid and extreme in detail. You very rarely find a Sikh that quietly goes in the bathtub without making a fuss. As I said in my first message, I blame the Punjabi cultural trait of 'living it large' : large weddings, large parties and, it seems, large deaths. The natural consequence of a misguided policy of living it large….is 'dying it large'.
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