Rajkot: Three members of a family died after allegedly poisoning themselves at their home in Yogeshwar Park on Sadhu Vaswani Road on Monday. Police say financial difficulties may have driven the family to the extreme step.According to police, retired PWD employee Dilip Khakhar, his wife Smita and their son Nishit poisoned themselves at their home on Monday afternoon. All three were rushed to Rajkot Civil Hospital for treatment. Their exact ages were not immediately known but all were adults.Smita Khakhar died first while undergoing treatment. Dilip and Nishit, whose condition remained critical, were placed on ventilator support but also succumbed.During preliminary inquiries, police found that Nishit had received a phone call from a creditor at 3.27p.m., demanding repayment of a loan. According to investigators, Nishit reportedly told the caller, “I’m coming right now to pay the money.” Police suspect the family poisoned themselves shortly after the conversation. Call records and other evidence are being examined as part of the investigation.Investigators said Nishit did not have a stable source of income and had borrowed money from friends and others. Police say the family’s prolonged financial hardships and the mounting stress of repaying debts may have been significant factors.The family had also experienced an earlier personal tragedy. Dilip’s elder son, Parag, died in an accident some time ago, adding to the family’s emotional burden.A preliminary inquiry by University police indicates the family had been facing financial problems for months. Police are hoping to get leads from the other family members and friends who could throw light on what led the family to this step.
