Behind Techie Couple's Suicide In Bengaluru, Job Loss Due To AI

Two days after a young techie couple died by suicide in Bengaluru, new details have emerged indicating stress and financial difficulties that may have led to the tragic incident.

Banu Chandra Reddy, 32, a software engineer from Telangana, hanged himself to death in his apartment on Monday. Shortly after, his wife Bibi Shaziya Siraj, a techie who worked at IBM, jumped from the 17th floor of their building.

Reddy had been struggling to secure stable employment in the city for nearly a year after losing his job in the United States, the investigation has found. Sources indicate that his layoff was linked to job cuts influenced by a shift toward AI-driven roles, leaving him without a steady income.

The prolonged unemployment is said to have resulted in mounting financial difficulties, adding to Reddy's mental stress during an already challenging period.

A lack of family support added to Reddy's difficulties as his interfaith marriage with Shazia reportedly did not go down well with his family. His father, who has strong political connections in Telangana, was opposed to their relationship, and this led to strained ties, sources said.

With limited emotional and financial backing from family, the couple was navigating significant personal challenges alone in Bengaluru.

The police have recovered a note in which Reddy cited some of these reasons and took responsibility for his actions while asking that his wife not be blamed for his suicide.

Shazia, who had returned to Bengaluru shortly before the tragedy, died by suicide after discovering her husband's body.

Further investigation is underway.