Hyderabad: One person dies in family suicide pact over debts

An engineering student died while four others in his family are in a critical condition after they all consumed poisonous substance at their house in Saroornagar

Hyderabad: An engineering student died while four others in his family are in a critical condition after they all consumed poisonous substance at their house in Saroornagar after slipping into depression over mounting debts.

According to the police, a trader Venkateshwara Prasad (60), runs a grocery store at Saroornagar and lives along with his wife V Latha (55), sons Sandeep (30), Sai Swaroop (28) and Vamshi Krishna (26), at Kodandaram Nagar colony of Saroornagar. Prasad is a native of Kurnool district.

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Over a period of time, Prasad took loans from some persons and it amounted to over Rs. 25 lakh. “With no means to repay the amount and pressure mounting from the money lenders, the family decided to end their lives. On Monday evening, Prasad purchased a bottle of poisonous substances and the family consumed it at their house,” said Saroornagar Inspector, V Saidi Reddy.

On coming to know about it, a tenant who stays in the building where Prasad lives informed the police who rushed to the spot and broke the door of the house. The police shifted the five persons to hospital in an ambulance where Vamshi Krishna died while undergoing treatment later. The remaining four members of the family are undergoing treatment.

The police registered a case and are investigating.