Babu Ishwar Thevar, 39, his wife, Amothi, 33, two sons Venkatesh, 10, and Mani, 8, and daughter, Mahalaxmi, 6, were found dead in their home on Tuesday night at their home here.
The couple allegedly fed poisoned sweets to their two boys, aged eight and 10, on Tuesday night but the daughter survived eating the sweets. She was found smothered to death. The parents were discovered in a separate room. They had hanged themselves.
The family had not disclosed their medical status to their neighbors and relatives, and Tevar's brother said he was the only one who knew about it.
Campaign groups said that the incident highlights the lack of counselling and the stigma that the condition carries across this Asian country.
An estimated 2.5 million people are infected with the virus in India, according to the United Nations. Maharashtra, in which Mumbai is located, is one six Indian states where the prevalence of HIV/Aids is high.
