Two bodies were recovered from the Parramatta River in Sydney last Saturday, leading investigators to a suicide note that classified the incident as a deliberate murder-suicide. Police were alerted after witnesses reported seeing a man floating in the water, who had earlier been spotted on a boat with a child.
Victim Identification
The man was identified as 47-year-old Maulik Dhandhukia, an Indian-origin Australian resident. It is believed that Dhandhukia threw his child from the boat before jumping into the river. Neither could swim. Despite renting life jackets for himself and his daughter, they were initially worn but later discarded.
Suicide Note Found
Police discovered a suicide note on the boat after Dhandhukia's body was found. On Saturday evening, the body of the six-year-old girl was recovered from the riverbed. Local officials reported that Dhandhukia had rented a boat at least twice before, once with a woman and child, likely his family. This was his third rental, bringing only his daughter.
Chronic Pain Background
Weeks before the tragedy, Dhandhukia had written publicly about living with chronic neck pain from a 2005 gym injury. In a social media post, he stated, "To summarise, maybe 70 per cent to 90 per cent of the problems that I faced in my life were due to this neck pain." Police noted Dhandhukia had no prior criminal record or apprehended violence orders.
Professional Life
Dhandhukia worked as an application support analyst for the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District and held previous technology roles in Australia and India. Family members launched a fundraiser for his wife, Pritiben Dhadhukia, seeking financial help for immediate expenses.
