Mounting financial stress, pressure to vacate house pushed Delhi family to commit suicide: Police

New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) A day after a family of three allegedly committed suicide in their home in southeast Delhi's Kalkaji, police suspect that mounting financial stress and sustained pressure to vacate their rented house may have pushed the family into depression.

Anuradha Kapoor (52) and her sons Ashish Kapoor (32) and Chaitanya Kapoor (27) were found hanging in their home on Friday.

Ashish was an engineer, while Chaitanya Kapoor was preparing for the civil services examination, police said. Both of them were unemployed. Their father had died a few years ago, following which the family largely kept to itself and had minimal contact with relatives.

The post-mortem examinations of the three bodies are scheduled to be conducted on Monday.

Police said the incident came to light around 2.47 pm when a police team reached the flat to execute a court order related to possession of the property, after the landlord filed a case over non-payment of rent.

According to investigators, the family had not paid a monthly rent of Rs 35,000 for the past one-and-a-half years.

"When repeated knocks went unanswered, the staff used a duplicate key to open the door," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said earlier.

Inside the house, officers found all three bodies hanging from ceiling fans. In the drawing room, where two fans were installed, Anuradha Kapoor and her elder son Ashish were found hanging, while the younger son, Chaitanya, was found hanging from a fan in one of the rooms, police said.

A handwritten note recovered from the spot indicated that the family had been suffering from depression. "The note suggests emotional distress faced by the family, due to which they may have taken the extreme step," a senior police officer said.

Police sources said the family had been under severe mental stress due to prolonged financial difficulties and repeated requests to vacate the flat.

Officers had earlier visited the premises in connection with the eviction process, they said.

Relatives who were informed after the incident told police they had not been in touch with the family for several years and were unaware of the extent of their financial and emotional distress. Investigators are also verifying details of loans and liabilities amounting to several lakhs of rupees, police said.

Residents of the neighbourhood said the family was quiet and rarely interacted with others. Some neighbours also claimed that the two sons had attempted suicide around 15-20 days ago, following which police and ambulances had arrived, a claim that police said is being verified.

The bodies have been shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) mortuary for post-mortem examination and other legal formalities under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), police said.

Police said the case prima facie appears to be one of mass suicide, but all angles are being thoroughly examined. Statements of relatives, neighbours and the landlord are being recorded to ascertain whether any form of pressure or harassment was involved.

Further investigation is underway, officials said. PTI SSJ HIG HIG