GURGAON: A 28-year-old garment businessman, Rahul, allegedly died by suicide by hanging himself inside his shop in Faridabad’s Ballabhgarh area on Sunday morning. Before his death, he posted an Instagram video and left a suicide note, in which he allegedly held his wife, Pragati Arora, and her family responsible for his distress.The incident came to light around 11 am when Rahul’s brother Amit saw the video on social media and rushed to the shop with family members. The shop was locked from inside, and after breaking open the glass door, they found Rahul dead.Rahul’s father, Krishna Gopal, who has two daughters and had lost his only son, alleged that his son’s marriage to Pragati, which took place two-and-a-half years ago in Gandhi Colony, had turned into a troubled relationship. He claimed that Rahul was forced into the marriage after Pragati allegedly threatened to accuse him of using and abandoning her.According to Rahul’s family, he faced continuous domestic disputes and allegedly tried to keep the marriage intact by doing household chores, including sweeping, mopping and washing utensils. They alleged that Pragati refused to contribute to household responsibilities and repeatedly harassed Rahul.The family further alleged that despite Pragati earning around Rs 30,000-31,000 per month from her job in Noida, she gave her earnings to her parents while Rahul continued to bear her expenses. They also claimed that she did not want children and allegedly refused to agree to a divorce.To give the couple separate space, Krishna Gopal said he built a separate house for them on different floors in Sector 3 Housing Board Colony. However, he alleged that the disputes continued and Rahul was eventually cut off from the family.The family claimed the situation worsened after a domestic argument over wiping water with a floor wiper. According to Rahul’s father, Pragati called her parents — Bittu and Veena Arora — and her sister Geetika Arora, following which Rahul was allegedly assaulted. He was later taken to a local police post after a complaint was filed against him.Rahul had opened his garment shop about a month before his death. “My son had never visited a police station before. He was deeply humiliated after being made to sit there. He was under severe mental stress after his wife allegedly threatened to send him to jail,” Krishna Gopal said.He added that Rahul, unable to bear what he described as continuous humiliation and harassment, took the extreme step inside his shop. In his final video, Rahul said, “God knows how right I am and how right she is.”The video also contained what appeared to be his final wishes, in which he sought legal action against his in-laws and stated that his property, shop and belongings should go to his mother, sisters and brothers.After a post-mortem examination at BK Civil Hospital, Rahul’s body was handed over to the family. Police said an FIR has been registered based on the complaint by Rahul’s family and the contents of the video.The case has been registered under Sections 108 (abetment of suicide) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against eight people, including Rahul’s wife, her parents, her sister and other relatives. Police said the accused family members are currently absconding and further investigation is underway.
