Belagavi: In a tragic development, City Police Commissioner Bhushan Gulabrao Borase announced on Thursday that three individuals have been taken into custody in connection with the suicide of three members of a family in the Joshi Mal area of Shahapur, Belagavi, on Wednesday.
The deceased have been identified as Santosh Kuradekar, Suvarna Kuradekar, and Mangala Kuradekar. According to Commissioner Borase, preliminary investigation and a death note recovered at the scene point to financial fraud and harassment related to a gold jewellery business, which pushed the family into a severe debt crisis.
The police have arrested Rajesh Kudatarakar, Bhaskar Sonarkar, and Nanaso Shinka based on clues mentioned in the note. A fourth family member, Sunanda Kuradekar, survived the poisoning attempt and is currently in critical condition in the hospital. Further information from her is currently not possible due to her medical state.
In her initial statement, Sunanda had claimed that 500 grams of gold belonging to her brother was in Rajesh’s possession. A subsequent raid on Rajesh’s house by Shahapur police led to the recovery of approximately 600 grams of gold and ₹4 lakh in cash.
Commissioner Borase said it was evident that debt and psychological harassment were major contributing factors in the tragedy. He strongly cautioned the public against borrowing from unauthorised lenders and advised seeking loans only from licensed financial institutions.
The commissioner has also discussed the matter with the district deputy commissioner, and stressed the need for a crackdown on illegal finance operators. Legal proceedings will begin following a full examination of the case, he added.