Mohali: A husband and wife died after allegedly consuming a poisonous substance at their paying guest accommodation in Zirakpur on Friday night. A seven-page suicide note recovered from the spot allegedly accuses a travel agent of cheating them of Rs 36 lakh on the pretext of sending them abroad.The deceased have been identified as Gagandeep Kaur and Hakam Singh, residents of Barnala, Punjab. The woman died on the spot, while Hakam Singh succumbed during treatment at a hospital on Saturday. Police said they had been living in a PG accommodation in Zirakpur for several months.According to the suicide note, Hakam Singh alleged that the agent was his former schoolmate, which is why he trusted him. He alleged that the agent initially advised him to marry a woman with the required English-language test qualifications to facilitate their plans to go abroad.Hakam claimed that he subsequently married Gagandeep, who had cleared the PTE examination, and the couple began the visa process. The suicide note alleges that the agent first sought money to process their applications and later kept offering different options, including study and work visas for countries such as Canada, Georgia and Italy.Hakam alleged that after repeated delays and failed visa applications, the agent eventually demanded Rs 18 lakh each to arrange their travel to Italy. He claimed that the couple paid a total of Rs 36 lakh, arranging the money by selling land and through other means.However, the couple was neither sent abroad nor was their money returned, the note alleges. Hakam further claimed that the agent provided what he later came to believe were forged visa documents and repeatedly delayed or avoided his calls.The suicide note also contains allegations that the agent threatened and blackmailed the couple, allegedly using details about their marriage and retaining their passports. Hakam claimed that he possessed call recordings, chats, screen recordings and other material relating to the transactions and visa documents.According to the police, the couple allegedly consumed celphos after remaining under severe stress over the alleged fraud. Their condition deteriorated soon afterwards. Gagandeep Kaur died, while Hakam was admitted to hospital, where his condition was stated to be serious.Police are examining the seven-page suicide note and other evidence and are investigating the allegations made in it. Further action will depend on the findings of the investigation, police said.
