Blood in car, family inquest told

GRIEVING relatives today heard the last harrowing details of the Chiti family.

Dr Jayaprakash Chiti and his two-year-old son Pranau were found dead beneath the Orwell Bridge on February 1 this year.

Mr Chiti, 41, is believed to have killed his wife Anapama, 36, at their Rushmere St Andrew home before throwing himself off the bridge with his young son in his arms.

The grieving family have flown in from India for today's inquest at Ipswich Crown Court.

They spent more than two hours with Suffolk coroner Dr Peter Dean discussing the proceedings before the inquest began.

Dr Dean apologised for the delay in proceedings but said it was because the relatives had only arrived late last night.

Detective Superintendent Roy Lambert was the first to give evidence.

Speaking of the background to the case he said that both the Chitis were born in India and had married there on December 30, 1988, in an arranged marriage.

He told the inquest that Anupama was the first family member to move to England in 1996 to pursue her career as a radiographer.

Jayaprakash remained in India with Ani for some months before moving to be with her later that year.

They originally lived in Nottingham before moving to Suffolk.

Det Supt went on to recount the tragic day in February when three members of the family were killed.

He said police received a call from a concerned member of the public at around 3.50am.

The man had seen a vehicle parked on the westbound carriageway of the Orwell bridge with its hazard lights on.

Police officers went to the scene and discovered a Toyota Corolla abandoned on the edge of the bridge.

Det Supt Lambert said: "The officer noticed what he believed to be blood on the steering wheel, the driver's seat and the gear stick of the car."

Upon further investigation the officer noticed the body of a man on a concrete plinth at the base of the bridge.

Other emergency services were then called to carry out a further search.

Police later found the body of Mrs Chiti, 36, with multiple stab wounds at the family's house in Seckford Close.

The couple's 11-year-old son Ani was found uninjured.

Mr Chiti was due to start a new job as a senior houseman in the accident and emergency department at Ipswich Hospital that week.

He had been working in the department as a locum for the preceding few weeks.

Mrs Chiti was a consultant radiologist who specialised in breast screening. The family had moved from Nottingham in the summer of 2003 after leaving their native India about five years ago.