Days after a mass suicide shocked Surat, the man accused of pushing the Khetan family to the brink has been caught in Delhi. Vaibhav Rungta was arrested after a three-page suicide note and testimony from a seven-year-old survivor, who was reportedly spoon-fed poison, revealed credit card fraud and relentless mental torture.
While the Vesu police team caught him following technical surveillance, a local Delhi court refused transit remand, ordering the accused to appear in person before the Surat court instead.
The investigation into the death of Balmukund Khetan and his family uncovered a trail of financial abuse. A three-page suicide note written in Hindi details how Rungta allegedly misused Khetan's credit cards. When Khetan, a stock market professional originally from Bihar, demanded his money back, he was met with verbal abuse and death threats. The family was allegedly pushed to the brink by this constant mental and financial pressure.
The family's youngest daughter, 7-year-old Prithvi, who was the sole survivor, has also revealed some details about the case. While undergoing treatment, she told relatives that she had been "spoon-fed" something by her parents. This led investigators to believe that the children were poisoned first before the couple consumed the substance themselves. Police will record Prithvi's official statement once doctors confirm she has fully recovered.
The family consumed aluminium phosphide, a highly toxic substance. On the day of the incident, Balmukund's wife, Priyanka, called her father to tell him they had consumed poison. Although an ambulance rushed them to the hospital, it was too late for most of the family. Balmukund was declared dead at the scene, while Priyanka and their elder daughter, Bhavya, died during treatment.
Surat Police are now conducting a thorough interrogation of Rungta. They are also investigating whether other moneylenders or accomplices were involved in the harassment. The victim's bank accounts and credit card transactions are currently being audited as evidence.
(With inputs from Amit Thakur)
