Gold merchant’s family found dead in Andhra, cyanide poisoning suspected

Police suspect financial distress and internal family issues as the cause of the suspected family suicide.

Madakasira (Andhra Pradesh): A family of four was found dead in their residence in Sri Sathya Sai district on Sunday, said a police official.

Police suspect financial distress and internal family issues as the cause of the suspected family suicide.

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The deceased have been identified as Krishna Chari, a gold shop owner in the Gandhi Bazaar area of Madakasira, his wife Sarala, and their two sons.

“The family consumed cyanide, which they had access to as goldsmiths,” the official told PTI.

Chari, the eldest of three brothers, was in debt and allegedly envious of his siblings’ financial success. Chari’s father was the first to discover the bodies, said the official.

During the search, police recovered a cyanide bottle, pointing to poisoning as the cause of death. They also said that the family should have consumed poison on Saturday night.

Police registered a case and are examining Chari’s broken mobile phone to retrieve data for further insights.

A detailed probe is underway to verify if financial distress was the only reason and to find out additional reasons if any that contributed to the tragedy.