Relatives of the couple, who found blood pooled in the courtyard on Tuesday morning, informed the police.
All the five were rushed to the hospital, where the children were declared brought dead. The parents are undergoing treatment, they said.
Phalodi Superintendent of Police (SP) Pooja Awana said Shivlal and his wife Jatno Devo had an argument on Monday night which drove them to carry out the horrific act.
According to the SP, the couple first fed poison to their son Harish (9) and daughters Kiran (5) and Natthu (3) and then strangled them. They then slit the veins on the children’s arms with a blade and used a knife to slit their throats.
After this, the couple attempted to commit suicide by slitting their own wrists.
SP Awana said Shivlal’s brother’s wife spotted blood outside the house on Tuesday morning and informed other family members, who alerted the police.
“The police who arrived at the scene found the accused husband and wife unconscious. The courtyard of the house was soaked in blood,” he said.
An empty poison bottle, a blade and a knife were recovered from the house.
The SP said information is being gathered about the entire sequence of events.
He said other family members are also being questioned and efforts are being made to record the couple’s statements.
The children’s bodies have been sent to the mortuary, he said. PTI COR RUK RUK
