Delhi trader found dead in car, blames business losses in suicide note

Hemant Dhall’s body was found on Thursday along with a suicide note which said he was upset over business losses and was unhappy with his son

A 41-year-old businessman allegedly committed suicide by slitting his wrist in his car parked at Indian Agricultural Research Institute on Pusa Road late Wednesday night. Police said a suicide note found near the body said that he took the step because of “losses in business”.

Preliminary investigation revealed that other shopkeepers in the area had noticed a change in Hemant Dhall’s behaviour over the last few days. (Representative photo)

Though the investigators refused to divulge details, sources from the police department said that Hemant Dhall, who owned two commercial complexes in west Delhi’s Patel Nagar, wrote in his suicide note that he was incurring losses as his tenants refused to pay the rent. Dhali had let out six office spaces and two PGs in the complex. He owned an electronics shop on the ground floor and was planning to open a showroom.

The suicide note, which was found near his body in his Toyota Corolla car, also mentioned that he was not happy with his son. Preliminary investigation revealed that other shopkeepers in the area had noticed a change in Dhall’s behaviour over the last few days. They however, said that he refused to share his problems with them. Dhall’s family members are also being questioned in the case.

The body was found at around 10.30am on Thursday when officials from institute saw the car stranded on the campus. Police said that he had moved from his earlier residence in Patel Nagar to Gurgaon with his family and thus knew the area well. “We are questioning the security guards if they saw anyone with him,” a senior police official said.