UK: Indian couple commit suicide after fraud case

London, Mar 19: An Indian couple committed suicide after the woman, who was allegedly found stealing 120,000 pounds from HSBC customers, was charged in a fraud case, media reports said.

Senior HSBC clerk Bindi Dhanji, 31, and her husband Kishore were found hanging from a footbridge near their London home following her disappearance from the southwark Crown Court on Tuesday, Mar 16, after meeting with her lawyers.

The couple met the lawyers before the sentencing on Tuesday, Mar 16, but fled before the hearing of the case.

Dhanji's lawyer, Richard Parry, informed the court that she seemed unperturbed by the outcome of the hearing.

"She clearly seems to have panicked. She seemed to be, I thought, fairly stoical about the outcome. Her husband took a different view, he seemed to place too much reliance on the pre-sentence report."

Judge Anthony Pitts issued an arrest warrant against Dhanji.

"It does seem like she has taken flight at first glance, I must confess, from what you have told me. It's not unknown, but it is a slightly unusual situation given that she was here this morning," the judge said.

Dhanji, who had admitted to stealing from the customers in May 2009, said that she was being threatened with dire consequences by a man, whom she refused to name, if she does not return back the money.

She said that she targeted pensioners as she believed that their bank account would not be properly checked.

The accounts of the victims were later reimbursed by HSBC.

Detective Constable Malcolm Jolly, of City of London Police said that Dhanji abused a position of trust by stealing from two elderly and vulnerable women.

Jolly appealed for her return before discovering that she was no more.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said that the post mortem of the bodies will take place on Friday, Mar 19.

"The bodies were hanging from a footbridge. Officers believe they know the identity of the deceased and next of kin have been informed, but await formal identification. This has now been referred to the Coroner," he said.

OneIndia News