Varanasi: A 52-year-old prominent paan masala wholesaler of East UP, Vijay Rathore alias Bablu, was found dead in his house in Kali Mahal area under Chetganj police station on Saturday. Initial investigations revealed that Rathore shot himself with his licensed pistol.
Rathore's family members found his body in a pool of blood on a bed in one of the rooms of their house. They immediately rushed him to a private hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Upon receiving information, Chetganj police reached the spot. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Kashi Zone, Gaurav Banswal also arrived to take stock. The police seized the licensed pistol used by Rathore to shoot himself. DCP, Kashi Zone, Gaurav Banswal said that Rathore was undergoing treatment for depression for the past seven to eight months. The police are also exploring other angles, including family discord. "From initial investigation, it is clear that he died by suicide. More details in this connection are being sought from the family after sending the body for post-mortem examination," he said.
Rathore lived in the Kali Mahal area with his wife Shweta, a son, and two daughters. He owned a house and several plots of land, and was a major wholesale trader of a popular paan masala brand in East UP .