DGCA official, his wife die by suicide in Andrews Ganj flat

Police said the woman poisoned herself hours after returning from the hospital she had taken her partner to in an attempt to save him.

A 37-year-old Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) official and his 32-year-old wife died by suicide in south Delhi’s Andrews Ganj, police officers aware of the case said on Thursday, adding that the woman poisoned herself hours after returning from the hospital she had taken her partner to in an attempt to save him.

Doctors said a post-mortem examination was conducted on the couple and both died after consuming poison, likely some insecticide or pesticide. (File)

According to investigators, the couple, originally from Odisha, married in November 2022. The man, police said, had joined the DGCA after quitting the Indian Air Force (IAF) last year, while the woman was a homemaker. The two temporarily lived at the residences for government hospitals near Hudco Place till a permanent residence could be allotted to them.

Police said the first suicide, of the man, was discovered around 9pm on Wednesday when the woman returned home and found him unconscious. She rushed him to Safdarjung hospital with the help of some neighbours, police officials said, adding that he was declared dead on arrival.

According to police, the woman told some relatives and a friend about her husband’s death while returning home from the hospital. Later, at 2.49am on Thursday, the friend informed the police control room that the woman was not responding to phone calls, officers said.

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Chandan Choudhary said that after the man was declared dead, the woman told the neighbours and doctors that she was feeling depressed and unwell, and wanted to go home. “When the common friend called her after around three hours and she did not respond, he made a PCR call at around 2.49 am,” she said.

After the friend’s PCR call, a police team was sent to the couple’s house. “A police team from the Defence Colony police station found the house locked from inside. It had to be broken down by a security guard. The woman was found unconscious on the floor with froth coming out of her mouth. Then a crime team, along with an ambulance and the fire brigade called there by police, reached the spot, and the woman was rushed to hospital, where she was declared dead by doctors,” Choudhary said

Doctors at Safdarjung hospital said a post-mortem examination was conducted on the couple and both died after consuming poison, likely some insecticide or pesticide. DCP Choudhary said no suicide note was recovered from the house, but neighbours said that the couple was often heard fighting. “We have called their relatives to hand over the bodies and to find out the exact cause of the dispute between them, as neighbours informed police that the couple were often seen quarrelling,” the DCP said.

The man’s elder brother told HT that they last spoke on Wednesday afternoon. “My brother used to tell me about their fights over petty issues. His last call to me was at around 1pm on Wednesday, when he was in his office. He told me that everything was fine, other than his regular fights with his wife. When I asked him to come home on Holi (March 8) so that their problems could be sorted out, he agreed. I can’t believe that my brother could take such an extreme step,” the brother said.

The man’s brother-in-law, who is posted with the Chandigarh Police, said, “They used to fight over trivial issues, but we had never imagined that they will go to this extent.”

The woman’s brother, who is a doctor in Bhopal, said that there were no serious issues between the couple before they took the extreme step.