Couple ends lives, woman’s 8-month-old daughter found hungry, crying in room

According to police, they received a call from the couple’s landlord around 11am on Saturday saying that he noticed a foul smell coming from the room that the couple had taken on rent and that he could hear a baby crying.

A couple, in their 20s, ended their lives by hanging at the houses they rented in an area under the Sector 49 police station jurisdiction. An eight-month-old girl, the woman’s child, was found crying in the room where the bodies were discovered, police said, adding that they are yet to ascertain the child’s identity.

Police said no suicide note was found at the spot. (HT Archives. Representative image)

According to police, they received a call from the couple’s landlord around 11am on Saturday saying that he noticed a foul smell coming from the room that the couple had taken on rent and that he could hear a baby crying.

“When we reached the spot, the room was found locked from inside. Upon breaking down the door, the man and woman were found hanging from a ceiling fan while the child was found crying nearby. The NGO managing Childline, a helpline for children, was contacted and the infant was taken to a private hospital for treatment,” said Dharmendra Kumar Sharma, station house officer, Sector 49 police station.

Police said the child is critical due to complications from being without food for almost two days. “The doctors said that she is on ventilator support. Once she gets better, the matter will be presented to the Child Welfare Committee,” said Satya Prakash, programme manager, FXB India Suraksha, the NGO that manages Childline.

Police said no suicide note was found at the spot. However, during investigation, police got to know that the man had eloped with the woman and her daughter from Bihar on July 4 and had rented the room in Noida on July 7. Bihar Police were already searching for them in connection with an abduction case filed after the child went missing. The matter will be handed over to them after the local probe, Noida police said.

“From the condition of the bodies, it seems that the duo had taken their lives a day or two ago. Their bodies have been sent for autopsies and only the report will clarify the cause of death. It seems the child was left hungry since then. There is no evidence of foul play, or injuries on the body. Prima facie, it seems that they both took their lives but the cause is unclear at the moment,” said Sharma.

He said their families in Bihar have been informed and are on their way to Noida.

Gautam Budh Nagar does not have a dedicated helpline to deal with such situations. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are +914066202000 from ‘Roshni’ (Hyderabad-based) and +914424640050 from Sneha India Foundation (Delhi-based).