Financial crisis forces 5 of family to commit suicide

Ghazipur/Lucknow, Aug 9 (UNI) Five members of a family today committed suicide in the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh following financial problems.

Police said prima facie it seemed that the family committed suicide by dousing themselves in kerosene due to financial problems.

''Investigations reveal financial hardships...but they were not starving,'' said Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Brij Lal.

Around 0230 hrs today, a police patrol was alerted about a cylinder blast in the Aamghat area of Ghazipur. When the police entered the house, it found medicine trader Dwarka Das Agarwal (55), his wife Nirupma (50), daughter Priyanka(22), Pallu (16) and son Preetam (20) tied together with a rope. ''Their bodies were severely burnt. They had apparently used kerosene oil to commit suicide...a 5 kg petromax cylinder was used to iginte the fire,'' Mr Lal added.

While four of the family members were tied together, Agarwal himself was tied with the other end of the rope, usually used to dry clothes.

The family had moved to Varanasi and were living in a rented accomodation. They had returned to their Ghazipur house 12 days ago.

''Agarwal's business was not flourishing and he used to sell medicines in various towns of the district,'' the police official added.

Agarwal's daughter Priyanka was physically challenged and could barely move on her own. She was suffering from an unknown disease.

The couple's elder daughter was married in Gorakhpur and she told police that the family was finding it difficult living in Varanasi.

UNI