In a tragic incident, four members of a local trader’s family, facing demands for repayment of loans from money lenders, were found dead on Sunday morning, while a fifth one died in the hospital during treatment.
Police said trader Ramesh Gupta’s body was found near the railway tracks at Surajkund overbridge, while those of his wife Sarita (45), daughter Payal (15) and son Ayush (10) were found at his home in Sahebganj under the Rajghat police station area of the district.
The trader’s elder daughter Rachna (20) too was found unconscious in the house and was rushed to BRD Medical College here, where she died during treatment a few hours later, police said.
Dying statement
Senior Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar Gupta said: “Before dying, Rachna Gupta said all of the family members had consumed poison. There was a lot of pressure on the family members, due to huge loans taken.”
“The food which the family consumed last night contained poison. Ramesh Gupta went towards the railway track to kill himself,” the police officer quoted Rachna as saying before her death.
The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, he said, adding that the matter was being probed.
Local residents said Gupta had taken huge loans and had been facing demands from money lenders to clear his dues. He was also facing losses in business.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, meanwhile, expressed “deep sorrow” over the incident.