Gardaí to interview father of Carlow brothers

Detectives in two counties are investigating the deaths of two children found dead in a car driven by their father.

Sanjeev Chada, 43, and youngsters Eoghan, 10, and Ruairi, five, went missing after leaving the family home in Ballinkillen, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, on Sunday evening.

It is understood the bodies of the boys were discovered in the boot of the crashed car about four miles from Westport, Co Mayo.

Mr Chada, known locally as Sanj, who suffered non-life threatening injuries in the accident, is due to be interviewed by detectives today.

Post mortem examinations on the bodies of both children are continuing at this afternoon at Mayo General Hospital. Mr Chada was treated at the same hospital.

The car has been removed from the scene of the collision at Rosbeg for further technical and forensic examination.

Gardaí have appealed for anyone who may have seen the father of two in his green Ford Focus, registration number 06 CW 238, as it travelled across the country.

They urged workers in petrol stations, shops, B&Bs and hotels and motorists who may have seen the Focus between Sunday and yesterday to come forward in a bid to identify the route it took across the country.

Teams of officers in both Mayo and Carlow are working on the case.

The car was discovered crashed into a stone wall at Clooneen, Rosbeg, on the coast road to Louisburgh.

Gardai said local officers in Mayo responded to a report of a single vehicle car accident, almost 300km from where Mr Chada was last seen with his children.

It is understood two local men were at the scene of the accident shortly after it happened and spoke to Mr Chada.

One of them lent him a mobile phone to make a call.

A passer-by called 999 to report the accident after the car crashed into an old stone wall at about 3.25pm on Monday afternoon.

Mr Chada was last seen with the children at 6.30pm on Sunday leaving their home to go to the Dome Bowling Centre in Carlow town.

The children were the subject of a nationwide search amid fears that Mr Chada had abducted them on Sunday evening after telling his wife Kathleen that he was taking them out.

Gardaí issued the first ever amber alert for missing children – the Child Rescue Ireland Alert – after Mr Chada failed to return home with them.

At the time the alert was issued, gardai said they had no knowledge of any breakdown in relations in the family and insisted that the couple were not estranged.

Eoghan and Ruairi were described as extremely popular and “two little sports fanatics”.

They were members of their local junior hurling club, Ballinkillen in rural Co Carlow, and had played at under-10 and under-six level.

Mrs Chada, a nurse, was originally from the area and lives near where her parents Willie and Patsy Murphy have a home.