Debt allegedly pushed family to 'mass suicide'

KARACHI:

Debt drove a family to commit mass suicide, according to the handwritten note of one of the victims and the statement of the head of the family who survived the poisoning.

Police have made major progress in the investigation into the deaths of three women found inside a flat in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 1, identifying the family head, Iqbal, and his son, Yaseen, as central suspects in the incident.

Yaseen told the police in hospital that he and his father had planned to consume the poison as well, but his father backed out after seeing his condition deteriorate.

Another letter recovered from Iqbal is being examined. Post-mortem reports are awaited, police said.

Investigators revealed the family owed more than Rs15 million, and a complaint regarding an additional Rs7.5 million loan had already been filed with police.

A police team revisited the flat on Tuesday and recovered additional evidence.

According to investigators, initial findings indicate that the family may have collectively decided to end their lives due to severe financial distress.

SHO Gulshan-e-Iqbal Naeem Rajput said toxic medicines and rodent-killing chemicals in liquid form were found at the scene.

A handwritten letter allegedly written by deceased Samina stated that mounting debt had pushed the family toward suicide; its authenticity is still under verification. Police believe toxic substances were mixed into a drink and given to the women.