Jamnagar: Five of a family ‘commit suicide’ by drinking poison

Deepak Sakariya (42), who runs a shop of sweetmeat, and four of his family members — mother Jaya (80), wife Aarti (40), daughter Kumkum (10) and son Hemant (7) — were found dead in their duplex in Modi Vanda near Kisan Chowk of Jamnagar city on Tuesday morning. Police said that Deepak’s father Pannala who was asleep upstairs during the night came downstairs at around 10:30 am on Tuesday and found the five dead on the ground floor.

“Prima facie, they consumed poison late night or early morning and committed suicide. We have recovered two bottles of pesticide from their home. They mixed poison in water or some soft drink and consumed it and ended their life. A relative of the deceased has told us that the family was finding it tough to make ends meet due to illness in the family and debt,” Sharad Singhal, Superintendent of Police of Jamnagar said.

The SP said that primary inquiry has revealed that Deepak’s mother was ill and he used to spend Rs 25,000 on her treatment. “Similarly, Deepak had also availed a bank loan and had to pay EMI of Rs 25,000. His monthly earning from selling the sweetmeat was between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000. Apparently, they were in a financial crisis, and took the extreme step,” Singhal added.

Police said that they have not recovered any suicide note, so far. “But primary enquiry has revealed that Deepak had availed home loan and had to pay its EMIs besides expenditure of medical treatment of his bed-ridden mother. The family-members seem to have decided to end their lives together. While Jaya was found dead in her bed, the couple and her children were found dead on floor of the house,” Inspector Kamlesh Buval said.

Police have registered a case of accidental deaths.