A 42-year-old man died by suicide in Dhankawdi area of Pune after allegedly killing his mother by inducing a drug overdose and later suffocating her with a plastic bag, the police said on Sunday.
The incident came to light as the man had sent a suicide note to his relatives via WhatsApp. The police have identified the deceased as Ganesh Fartade, and his mother Nirmala (76) — both residents of Dhanakawadi.
An official said a preliminary probe suggested that Ganesh, who was an engineer, had lost his job and had recently started investing in the share market. He was also under a lot of debt. Late on Saturday, Ganesh sent a suicide note to some of relatives. One of his maternal aunts, who stays in Pune, saw the message early in the morning and asked another relative to go and check on them. The relative, while going to their house, had also alerted the police, who, after reaching Ganesh’s residence, broke open the door but found both dead, the official added.
The investigation also revealed that the mother was suffering from various age-related ailments. A police officer, who was overseeing the probe, said, “Our investigation suggests that the man induced a drug overdose, possibly with various medicines she had been prescribed. He later suffocated her with a plastic bag and then died by suicide.”
The officer added, “Investigation suggests that the man was depressed as he had lost his job, was under a lot of debt, and also worried about his mother’s health issues. We are trying to ascertain the exact sequence of events.”
