Varanasi Mass Suicide: Family was threatened with dire consequences

New revelations are being made from the suicide note found from four people of Andhra Pradesh, who died by suicide in a 'Dharamshala' in Varanasi. In the suicide note, the family penned their plight.

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh): On December 6, a family from Andhra Pradesh died by suicide in 'Dharamshala' here after being troubled by moneylenders. The Varanasi Police have registered a case against three people from Andhra Pradesh.

The police also found a suicide note from the room in Dharamshala and many things were revealed. 50-year-old Konda Babu, his wife Lavanya (45), sons Rajesh (25) and Jayaraj (22), residents of East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, died by suicide last Wednesday. Their last rites were performed in Varanasi late on Saturday night by the Trust, which operates the 'Dharamshala.

Police said that as per the suicide note, Rajesh claimed that he was forced to take the extreme step by one Malli Babu, who runs a shop. "Rajesh had taken a loan of Rs six lakh from one Pantgal Prasad. One Malli Babu had helped Rajesh get the loan. Now Rajesh was demanding Rs 20 lakh. Malli threatened to take possession of their property if the loan was not repaid," a senior police official said.

The police official added that as per the suicide note, Malli had threatened that if the family approached police they would be sent to jail like former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. Police further said that as per the suicide note Malli Babu "used to call himself close to a YSRCP Minister" and was harassing the family with repeated threats.

Rajesh was working in the 'Durga Divvet Auto Consultancy' shop in Mandapeta. As per the suicide note he and his father signed 10 white papers and 20 bonds.

Rajesh also claimed in the suicide note, which was written in Telugu, that due to the threats, they left the city. He claimed that Malli Babu threatened him with death.

"We had very little money. Since then we stayed in Kolkata, Tamil Nadu, Haridwar and Varanasi for two months. Finally, we ran out of money. Our death is near and no one will lie while dying. The reason for our death is three persons – Pantagadal Prasad, Ramireddy Veera Lakshmi and Malli Babu. We hope that justice will be done to us. None of these should be spared," Rajesh wrote in the suicide note.

Police said that Konda Babu expressed his wish that his last rites should be performed by his daughter, but that remained unfulfilled as the daughter was present.