A 55-year-old widow and her two sons reportedly committed suicide on 10th December (Tuesday) in Jodhpur. The incident took place in Birami village near Osian in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. According to the police, the unfortunate tragedy was caused by family strife. Four people were named in a suicide letter that her elder son posted on social media, accusing them of harassing and defaming them. Bhanwari Devi and her two sons, 27-year-old Navratan and 24-year-old Pradeep, have been identified as the deceased.
Navratan got married only four months ago. The suicide note mentioned about torture perpetrated by the daughter-in-law along with names of three others. Navratan’s wife was at home at the time of the incident. On Tuesday afternoon, Navratan’s cousin visited them and found the three bodies. He rushed them to local hospital, where they were pronounced brought dead.
Authorities arrived at the scene after receiving word from the locals and took the bodies to the mortuary. Station House Officer (SHO) Osian, Rajesh Kumar informed that police learned of the joint suicide at approximately 11 am on Tuesday. The victims had froth around their mouths when they were found in their home. He disclosed, “They purchased packets of some poison from the market and consumed it by dissolving it in water. The substance they consumed will be recognised only after the post-mortem, which will be conducted by a medical board on Wednesday (11th December).”
Navratan had sent a message to his family members blaming four people for mental harassment and torture. Screenshots of the same have been making the rounds on social media following the deaths. “They harassed us and made false accusations. Lal Singh, Hukam Singh, Shravan Singh and their daughter Neetu Singh from Mandla should be punished for our deaths. They mentally tortured us. Sir, ensure that this entire family is brought to justice,” it read.
The trouble apparently started soon after the son’s marriage. Superintendent of Police Rural Jodhpur Rammurthy Joshi conveyed, “The bodies of the mother and two sons have been discovered along with a suicide note. The cause of death is being investigated. It appears to be a suicide. Postmortem has not been carried out yet. The reason behind the suicide will be clear after probe. The police is investigating the case in depth. The cause of the death will be known through the post-mortem report and further inquiry.”
The police mentioned, “The reason for this alleged persecution of the family and their connections with the deceased is yet to be verified and ascertained.” Sub-Inspector Sultan Singh stated that the matter seems to be of family dispute and mental harassment. He added that further action would be taken as per the investigation.
The deceased woman’s husband once owned a snacks factory in Bathinda, Punjab, but it was destroyed in a fire, according to the preliminary police inquiry. Her husband passed away in a fire accident in 2012, per other reports. The family then went back to their village. The two brothers worked in finance. The family has not filed a First Information Report (FIR) yet.
