Bengaluru: Family of four die by suicide in Bihar over guilt of killing nephew

Police say the family was disturbed after the 50-year-old uncle had killed his minor nephew on August 7 last year over his addiction to mobile games

Four members of a family died by suicide while on their trip to Bihar triggered by the guilt of their nephew’s murder earlier this year, police said.

Police said empty strips of sleeping pills were recovered near the bodies, indicating an overdose. (Representative file photo)

Police say the family was disturbed after the 50-year-old uncle had killed his minor nephew on August 7 last year over his addiction to mobile games.

Confirming the incident, Soladevanahalli police inspector V Raghu told HT on Saturday, “Preliminary investigation suggests that the family was unable to overcome the trauma and shame following the murder case. Continuous mental stress appears to be the primary reason behind this extreme step. We booked the 50 year old man who was working as a security guard on August 8 and sent to judicial custody for murdering his nephew. Later, he was released on bail in December.

The deceased have been identified as a 50 year old man, his mother (78) and his two sisters aged 48 and 43 years respectively, at Rajgir town in Bihar on Friday.

All four were found dead during a family trip to Bihar. Police said empty strips of sleeping pills were recovered near the bodies, indicating an overdose.

According to police , after the murder of the 14-year-old, the entire family were under severe emotional pressure.

“They were visiting temples across different states seeking forgiveness. But the mental agony never left them,” the officer added.

The murdered boy is the son of the 50 year old security guard’s sister who had been staying with his maternal uncle for nearly eight months before his death.

According to police, the boy had become addicted to the online game Free Fire and repeatedly demanded money to continue playing. A week before the murder, he had allegedly assaulted his uncle after being denied money.

The uncle then killed the boy at their residence in Kumbara Halli Vinayaka Layout on August 7. He later attempted suicide by jumping into a lake but survived. With no money left, he stayed at Majestic bus stand for three days before surrendering at Soladevanahalli police station.

After coming out of prison, the family remained reclusive. Last week, the four traveled together to Bihar, possibly as part of their ongoing temple visits. It was during this trip that they consumed a large quantity of sleeping tablets and ended their lives, police said.

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