Bhubaneswar, July 31 - A senior official of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs was found dead along with four members of his family in Orissa's Bargarh district early Friday, police said.

Jagadananda Panda, 54, was an Orissa cadre Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, posted as protector general of emigrants in New Delhi. He had come to his village some days ago on holiday.

The bureaucrat was found dead along with his wife, father and two sisters. All of them had suffered bullet injuries, District Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar Biswal told IANS.

'Panda's service revolver was found at the spot. We suspect he might have killed himself after killing his family members,' Biswal said, adding that the exact cause of the deaths would be known after investigation.