Bhopal: Family Allegedly Driven To Suicide By Loan App Company's Harassment Tactics

A tragic incident occurred in Bhopal, where a couple and their two children took their own lives. According to the police, the family was allegedly coerced by a loan app company to pay a sum of Rs 17 lakh.

The company had gained access to the man's electronic devices and leaked an objectionable photo to his contact list. This distressing situation led the family to resort to such extreme measures.

The deceased couple, aged 38 and 35, were discovered hanging from a ceiling fan in their residence. It is suspected that their two sons, aged three and nine, consumed poison mixed in a cold drink.

The investigation is ongoing to determine the exact circumstances surrounding this heartbreaking incident.

Deputy Commissioner of Bhopal Police, Sai Krishna Thota, provided some insight into the case. He stated that the children tragically lost their lives after consuming sulfas, while their parents were found hanging.

The police have also recovered a suicide note, which revealed that the family was burdened with financial stress and had outstanding loans.

The man had joined an online company, unaware that his phone and laptop's contacts and gallery had been compromised. The company then began extorting him, leading the family to take this drastic step, a report in The Indian Express has revealed.

In his note, the man expressed his desire to apologise to his family and anyone he had upset due to a single mistake.

The police reported that the man received a message in April offering him an online job, which was reiterated on Telegram. He decided to take up the job in order to earn some extra money.

According to the purported suicide note, the man initially benefitted from the job, but soon found himself trapped.

Over the course of several months, the man was allegedly coerced into taking loans from the same company, resulting in a gradual increase in his debt.

According to his account, when he failed to make an EMI payment, the company allegedly hacked his phone and shared manipulated images of him with his family and contacts.

Despite visiting the local cyber crime office multiple times, he was unable to receive proper assistance due to the unavailability of officers.

Expressing a bleak outlook for himself and his family, the note states that he feels unable to face anyone and questions how he will be able to see his family. The note also requests that the family be cremated together.

In the early hours of Thursday (13 July), the man took a final selfie with his family and sent it to his niece, indicating that it would be their last picture.

The distressed woman shared that her uncle had recently experienced a lot of distress. She explained that she had received an obscene picture on her phone, and later her uncle messaged everyone, stating that his phone had been hacked.

According to the man's elder brother, both his phone and laptop had been compromised. He revealed that morphed pictures were used to extort money, and as a result, they were under immense pressure to repay Rs 17 lakh to the loan app company.

In order to investigate the company at the center of the allegations, the police are currently examining the couple's electronic devices. They hope to gather crucial evidence from these devices.

The authorities plan to take statements from the family members involved in the case. Additionally, they will conduct a forensic analysis of the phone and laptop, as well as examine the bank account statements to identify the perpetrator.

Police are currently verifying the credentials of the loan app company that the deceased claimed to work for.

The company's name is unclear and its authenticity is being investigated by a special team. As of now, no FIR has been registered concerning this case.

The incident in Bhopal serves as a grim reminder of the devastating consequences that can arise from financial pressure and online exploitation.