Gujarat Couple, 3 Children Found Dead, Relatives Point To EMI Stress

A couple and their three children have died in Ahmedabad's Bagodara in a suspected case of mass suicide. The parents allegedly poisoned their two daughters and a son before dying by suicide. Relatives have said Vipul Vaghela (32) plied an auto-rickshaw and was under heavy debt. They suspect the financial struggles pushed him to poison his family and then die by suicide.

The couple and their children were found dead this morning. As soon as police were alerted, an ambulance was rushed to the spot and the five were taken to the hospital, where they were declared dead. Police have said the bodies of Vipul Vaghela, his wife Sonal Vaghela (26) and children Kareena (11), Mayur (8) and Princy (5) have been sent for autopsy. The bodies were found on two cots at their home. Police said they are investigating what led to this tragic incident.

The family, relatives said, was from Dholka and had been living in Bagodara in a rented home. Vipul operated an auto-rickshaw and was the sole earning member. A relative said Vipul bought an auto-rickshaw on loan and was struggling to pay EMIs. "He used to be under a lot of pressure due to financial strains. It is possible that he took this decision due to those difficulties," he said.

Senior police officer Vagisha Joshi said they received an alert late last night that five members of a family had died by suicide. "When police reached the spot, we found the five bodies. Investigation is on. The autopsy is being done. The probe will lead to the circumstances that led to these deaths. We are looking at all angles, including financial stress," she said. The officer said forensic tests will reveal the poison used in the mass suicide. 

Inputs by Mahendra Prasad