Debt-burdened Shahajahnpur businessman and his wife kill themselves after poisoning a 4-year-old child

A handloom businessman and his wife allegedly poisoned their four-year-old and then hanged themselves. Police have recovered a suicide note from the phone of the businessman, mentioning debts and financial distress as the reasons for suicide. The businessman, identified as Sachin Grover and his wife Shivangi used to run a handloom showroom in Mohanganj, Shahajahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

The police have taken the bodies for a postmortem, and an investigation has been launched. The couple lived in a two-storey building with their brother Rohit and Mohit. On Wednesday, during the naming ceremony of Mohit's son, the two couple poisoned their son Fateh and hanged themselves from separate rooms. Sachin's mother mentioned he was under immense debt pressure.

On Tuesday evening, Sachin had mentioned needing 5 lakh for a bank payment, and he had managed only 3 lakh. According to the TV9 report, Sachin and his wife faced harassment from moneylenders, who had seized their car and bike. However, the police investigation led by Superintendent Rajesh Dwivedi is yet to validate the harassment claim.

Moneylender harassment related suicide is a recurring theme in India, such as a 2022 case involving Satish Chandra and Mansa Devi and cases in Indore and often driving individuals to extreme steps. According to data from NCRB, the suicide rate in India for 2022 was 12.4 per 100000 population. The highest ever recorded in the country, with a 4.2 per cent increase from 2021. Nationwide data for 2024 has not been disclosed yet. Partial and under-reporting are common due to social stigma and past attempts at criminalisation of suicide. However, a report from The Hindu indicates that the Central Industrial Security Force noted a 12.4 per cent national suicide rate in 2024, with common causes being financial distress, marriage-related issues (dowry disputes), substance abuse and family problems. Daily Wage earners were the largest group, with NCRB data accounting for 26 per cent of suicide victims in 2022. Student and farmer suicide rates also remain very high.