A family in Pune’s Pimpri area has died in what police suspect was a suicide driven by financial distress, after the three were found unconscious at their home.
Vinod Pillai, 50, died before he could be given medical help. His wife, Sirja Pillai, 45, and their 19-year-old daughter, Purnima Pillai, were rushed to a hospital and treated in the ICU, but they too died a short while later.
Vinod had studied Computer Science at IIM Ahmedabad, while Sirja worked as a coordinator at a school.
The tragedy came to light after Sirja did not turn up for work. When her colleagues could not reach her, they grew concerned and contacted her relatives, who went to the house to check on the family.
At the scene, officers from Sant Tukaram Nagar police station recovered a suicide note along with a container of sodium nitrate, a chemical that Vinod is believed to have ordered online.
Police said the fumes released from burning the chemical filled the room, leading to the deaths.
In the note, Vinod wrote that the family’s financial troubles had driven him to take this step, adding that no one else should be held responsible.
Investigators found that the family had been struggling with heavy debt for some time. They had sold their home in Nehru Nagar three years ago and had since been living in a rented room in Morwadi.
The police have registered a case, and further investigation is underway.
