Suicide by debt-ridden couple: Four persons taken into custody in UP's Shahjahanpur

Shahjahanpur (UP), Aug 29 (PTI) Four people were apprehended on Friday in connection with the suicide of a debt-ridden couple, who poisoned their four-month-old son before taking the extreme step, police said.

The couple had left a suicide note on Tuesday night, pointing to severe debt as the reason for the extreme step, officials said.

Sanki Anand, Vicky Bagga, Devansh Khanna and an unidentified accused have been taken into custody for questioning. Among them Sanki Anand is named as a loan shark in the FIR, police said.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajesh Dwivedi said, "If an organised gang of loan sharks is found to be involved, the accused will face charges under the Gangster Act." According to a complaint filed by the deceased's mother-in-law, the couple, Sachin Grover and his wife Shivani, had borrowed money for their business from three accused.

It is alleged that these lenders were charging exorbitant interest and harassing the family.

The SP said the lenders had threatened to defame them among their relatives if the interest was not paid.

"The suicide note from Sachin revealed that he had also sought help from his brother Mohit and other family members, but they did not assist," the officer added.

Following the suicide, police recovered a note stating that the couple had poisoned their four-month-old son with a toxic substance mixed in a cold drink before they hanged themselves in separate rooms.

Dwivedi said investigation is underway and four people, including Sanki Anand, have been detained on Friday for questioning.

In 2021, a local businessman, Akhilesh Gupta, and his wife and two children committed suicide due to harassment by loan sharks in the district. The police had then taken action under the Gangster Act. PTI COR CDN SHS RUK SHS DV DV