A family of five members, including three children were found dead at their residence in Tumakuru district on Sunday, police officers familiar with the matter said on Monday.
According to police, The deceased included a 36-year-old Kabab centre owner, his 32-year-old wife, and their three children aged 14, 10, 8, residents of Sadashivanagara in the city.
“We have detained five people for questioning in connection with the case,” said Tilak Park Police circle inspector B Purushotham to HT. “According to the initial probe, the couple had taken a loan of ₹50,000 from two Shakhti Sanghas. Due to low business in the Kabab shop and being unable to reply the loan, the couple died by suicide after strangulating their three children,” he added.
In a video sent to the family through WhatsApp, the couple alleged a few neighbours harassed them. “Two separate cases were registered under sections 302 read with section 34 and section 109 read with section 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the investigation is ongoing,” the officer said.
Further in a note, the 36-year-old expressed the challenges of increased debt, lack of business profits, and difficulty in making ends meet. He pointed to harassment by neighbours as an added source of anguish, specifying individuals by name. The note also mentioned that the family had moved to the city for better opportunities but was met with adversity.
State home minister G Parameshwara, who visited the mortuary at the district hospital on Monday, acknowledged that the family faced harassment from usury dealers. “The family had migrated from Shira to Tumkur and operated a chicken kebab centre. The family had taken a loan for business transactions, but setbacks in the business left them unable to repay the interest. We will also verify if there was any harassment from the finance company,” he said.
