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Man shoots self in car near DM’s residence, police suspect debt stress
According to station house officer (SHO) Vikram Singh of Hazratganj police station, a call around 11:40 pm reported a man with a gunshot wound seated inside a car with the engine running.
A 38-year-old man allegedly ended his life by shooting himself inside a locked car near the district magistrate’s compound on Hari Om Marg in Hazratganj late Saturday night. The deceased, once part of a financially stable business family, had reportedly been living in isolation and facing severe financial distress in recent years.
Police said the man appeared to have chosen a busy area for the act, though the exact reason remains unclear. He was allegedly under heavy pressure due to debts running into crores of rupees borrowed from banks and private lenders, besides suffering losses from gambling.
According to Hazratganj station house officer (SHO) Vikram Singh, police received a call around 11:40 pm reporting a man with a gunshot wound inside a car with the engine running. Senior officials, including the deputy commissioner of police (Central) and a forensic team, soon reached the spot. The man was found in the driver’s seat with a gunshot wound to the right temple, and the bullet had exited from the left side. A licensed revolver was recovered from his hand.
Police recovered nine live cartridges and one empty cartridge from the vehicle, including four live cartridges in a foil packet and one spent cartridge inside the car. The deceased was identified as Ishaan Garg, a resident of Rajajipuram under Talkatora police limits, through documents and his revolver license. His body has been sent for postmortem examination. The body will later be handed over to his sister on Monday.
Investigators said the deceased belonged to a well-established trader family. His father, who passed away during the COVID period, owned an office in the Naka electric market and was active in the traders’ union. After his father’s death, Ishaan allegedly sold the family house and gradually spent the proceeds without creating a stable income, leading to financial instability.
Police said his financial troubles appeared to have pushed him to take the extreme step. He had accumulated large debts and was involved in betting. It was also found that he had sold his ancestral house in Rajajipuram’s F Block and his father’s car a few years ago. The car in which he allegedly took his life was also up for sale, and he had been looking for a buyer.
The man had been living alone in Chinhat. His mother had shifted to her parental home following domestic disputes, while his married sister resides outside the city. Hours before the incident, he reportedly bought cartridges from a shop on Latouche Road, indicating possible premeditation.
After being informed by the police, the deceased’s sister and brother-in-law, residents of Sector-66, Gurugram, Haryana, reached Lucknow on Sunday. During questioning, they said they had last spoken to Ishaan about a year and a half ago, after which he had distanced himself. They told police that he was under huge financial stress due to loans and suspected that this might have driven him to suicide.
The family said they were unaware of the exact amount of debt and have not made any allegations regarding his death.
Deputy commissioner of police (Central) Vikrant Veer said it was still unclear why the man chose that particular location. Police are examining his call records, financial details, and recent interactions. His mobile phone has been recovered for analysis. The postmortem report and digital evidence are expected to help determine the exact circumstances and motive behind the incident.
