Delhi: Man, wife kill their daughter, commit suicide over property dispute

Vicky Lal, a 35-year-old poultry eggs wholesaler, and wife Lalita, aged 30, are survived by a three-year-old son who was at a neighbour’s home when the tragedy happened.

A couple gave their six-year-old daughter poison and then consumed it themselves in south Delhi’s Govindpuri early on Saturday over a property dispute in the family, police said on Monday.

A couple killed their daughter and then committed suicide over a property dispute. (Representational Image)

Vicky Lal, a 35-year-old poultry eggs wholesaler, and wife Lalita, aged 30, are survived by a three-year-old son who was at a neighbour’s home when the tragedy happened.

Police are puzzling over the death of the couple’s daughter, Ranchi. “No one witnessed the suicide, so we may never know. But it is unlikely the girl was a willing participant in the suicide pact,” said Chinmoy Biswal, the southeast district deputy commissioner of police.

Police have not registered an FIR as they did not suspect any foul play by the man’s family. Vicky was the youngest of three brothers.

According to the family, the couple had attempted suicide twice before in less than 15 months. “Vicky and his family lived on the first floor of a six-storey building in Govindpuri. His father, 74-year-old father Kishori Lal, owns the house. Vicky wanted the first and the second floors transferred in his name, but his father refused to divide the property before his death,” DCP Biswal said.

Brother Rakesh said Vicky’s demand was the cause of frequent quarrels at home.

“On New Year’s Day in 2017, Vicky and his wife attempted suicide. We took them to hospital and saved their lives. They again tried to kill themselves a few months later,” he said.

According to officer Biswal, the first suicide attempt prompted Vicky’s father to approach Delhi police’s senior citizen cell and the matter was resolved through counselling.

The father told police that Vicky and his wife broached the property topic again around 9.30am on Saturday, leading to a quarrel. “The couple threatened to kill themselves and went upstairs. I called police. But before arrived, the three of them took some poisonous substance,” Kishori Lal said.

Pills and food found in the couple’s room were collected for tests to ascertain the poison. “We think they took some capsules kept at home,” said an investigator, who doesn’t want to be identified.