Hassan: Caught in deep debts, a family of three committed suicide by consuming poison at their residence here and the incident came to light yesterday.

The deceased are Sathya-prasad (54), a petrol bunk owner, his wife Annapoorna (50) and their son Gourav (21), residents of Post Office Road at Hemavathi Nagar in Hassan.

Details: It is learnt that Sathyaprasad, who was a kerosene dealer, had taken a petrol bunk on Belur Road near Ibbane on contract and had taken crores of rupees as loans from banks and private finance companies. As the petrol bunk did not fetch good revenue as expected, Sathyaprasad suffered losses and had given the petrol bunk to someone else to run it.

Sathyaprasad had also sold his old house and had purchased another house in which the family was presently residing. But there were issues with the house documents. Recently, his car too was confiscated by a finance company, following which the family members were mentally disturbed.

Earlier, Gourav, who was pursuing his B.Com course at a private College in Mysuru, discontinued it in the second year and had joined an Engineering College where he was pursuing his first year course. He wanted to take up acting and had also undergone training at a drama institute, it is learnt.

Police said that, last week, Gourav had come to his house from Mysuru and the family had organised a four-day grand Upanayana ceremony. Though the family had invited a large number of guests including relatives and friends to the ceremony, they had not disclosed their problems to anyone. Unable to repay the loans, Sathyaprasad, Annapoorna and Gourav committed suicide by consuming poison-laced food in the same room, Police added.

Sathyaprasad’s mother, who is ailing, was residing in the room on the first floor and the family used to provide timely food regularly. But yesterday as Sathyaprasad’s mother did not receive her breakfast even after 10 am, she called her son and daughter-in-law on their phones but the calls were not answered. She then called her daughter and informed about it.

Sathyaprasad’s sister, who rushed to the house, found Sathyaprasad and his wife lying motionless in the room and Gourav was found lying in the bathroom and still breathing. He (Gourav) was immediately rushed to HIMS Hospital, but he breathed his last at the hospital.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Srinivas Gowda, ASP Nandini, Dy.SP Uday Bhaskar, Pension Mohalla Inspector Renukaprasad and staff visited the house, conducted inspection and the jurisdictional Police have registered a case.    

Meanwhile, SP Srinivas Gowda said that no death note was found in the house and a mobile phone has been seized from the spot. The SP further said that the exact reason for the three to commit suicide is not known.

Two bottles of pesticides were found in the house, he said and added that a finance company had seized their car for non-repayment of loan last week.

Pointing out that even the petrol bunk business was not running good, the SP said that the truth behind the deaths would be known only after a thorough investigation.