All four of family hang themselves to death amid COVID-led financial crunch: Police
Trader Yashwant Soni, 45, his wife Mamta, 40, and their sons Ajit, 23, and Bharat, 20, -- allegedly committed suicide amid their worsening financial condition in last six months during the COVID-19 lockdown, they said.
They committed suicide in their house at Radha Vihar colony in Jamdoli area under Kanota police station and the matter came to light on Saturday morning when Soni's brother visited them, the police said.
When the Soni's family members did not respond to the repeated doorbell rings, his brother informed the police, they said.
Soni had taken money on interest from some people but was not in a position to return it, police said, adding he had also lent some money to others but was not able to recover it either.
Additional DCP (East) Manoj Chaudhary said a suicide note was found in the house in which Soni said he was disturbed because of the financial issues.
Soni and both of his two sons were found hanging from ceiling fans in a hall while Soni's wife Mamta was found hanging in her room, he said.
Chaudhary said the eyes of the woman were covered while the legs of both the boys were tied.
It appears that Ajit and Bharat committed suicide first and then their mother Mamta took the extreme step. After them, Yashwant Soni ended his life, the officer said.
The family lived in a two-storey house and they were having a good lifestyle.
However, there was no rotation of money for some time and their financial condition had weakened. Soni was neither able to repay the borrowed money nor was he able to recover the amount which he had lent.
It will become clear in the investigation as to how much money Soni had borrowed and how much he had lent but primary probe suggests the total amount could be around Rs 1 crore, he said.
Neighbours said the borrowers used to shout in front of their house which hurt the family.
Three-four persons came yesterday and abused the family. Probably due to the insult in the colony, the family took the decision, which has shocked everyone, a neighbour said.
Today also, three persons came to demand money. They were instantly caught by police and taken away to the police station for interrogation.
Chaudhary said four-five persons were questioned in connection with the financial transactions.
Soni has blamed one Rajendra in his suicide note and the matter is being investigated, he said.
Both of his sons were preparing for competitive exams. One of them had recently taken the NEET examination.
The bodies have been shifted to a nearby hospital and COVID-19 tests were conducted, the officer said, adding the further course of action would be taken as per the test reports.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
