9 Members Of Family Found Dead, 13 Arrested For Abetting Suicide

Nine members of a family of two brothers allegedly ended their lives in the Indian state of Maharashtra on Monday, June 20, authorities said.

The two brothers – Popat Vanmore, a teacher and Manik Vanmore, a veterinarian – and seven of their other family members were found dead at two separate homes of the siblings, located approximately a mile apart in the Mhaisal village of Sangli district, on Monday, police had said.

The deceased include their mother, wives and four children. Their identities are yet to be released by the authorities.

Police were still conducting a probe to find out what poisonous substance was consumed by the family to end their lives.

"The cause of the death is still reserved and what substance was used is under investigation," Sangli Superintendent of Police Dikshit Gedam said at a press conference.

Suicide notes recovered from the homes indicated that the family had serious financial problems and had hefty debts to repay.

"The contents of the suicide notes indicate the family had borrowed money from some people and they were finding it difficult to repay it," Gedam said.

A preliminary investigation suggested the two brothers had borrowed huge amounts from various people for some business, police said.

"As they were humiliated for it, they took the extreme step," the official said.

The police have registered a case against 25 people from whom the family had borrowed money.

"The family was harassed and humiliated by these people, who forced them to take the extreme step," Gedam said.

Out of these 25 people, the police have so far arrested 13 people under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide), 341 (wrongful restraint), and relevant sections of the Maharashtra Money Lending (Regulation ) Act and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the official said.

Some of the arrested accused were known to the police as they were already related to money lending cases in the past, he said.

A manhunt has been initiated to trace the other accused in the case, the official added.

"Both the families were educated as one brother (Manik Vanmore) was a veterinary doctor while the other (Popat Vanmore) was a teacher. Popat's daughter was employed with a bank in Kolhapur. It is shocking that the entire family has taken such an extreme step," NDTV quoted a villager as saying.

"The Vanmore brothers often used to brag that they would be receiving hefty money from a company located abroad. It is heard that the two brothers often used to say that they would receive ₹ 3,000 crore," he said.