Mounting debt pushes Chennai trader to kill wife and kids, suicide bid fails

In a suicide note, Damodaran said that the demonetisation move of the government had affected his business.

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A small scale retail textile unit owner allegedly killed four of his family members at his home in Chennai, before attempting suicide on Tuesday.

M Damodaran alias Prakash, who runs his textile business on Elumalai Street in Krishna Nagar, Pammal, was reportedly under severe stress due to mounting debts.

The dead family members include his wife Deepa, 36, two children, Roshan, 8, and Meenakshi, 6, and his mother Saraswathi, 68 as per a report in The Hindu.

Police said that Damodaran slit the throats of his family members before attempting to kill himself by doing the same.

He was rushed to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

In a suicide note that he left behind, Damodaran said that the demonetisation move of the government had affected his business and he had fallen into a debt trap.

“My debts increased manifold. The State government is not bothered about people’s money problem. If it continues like this, many more families like mine could die,” the suicide note said.

He also said that he was unable to face the world due to the rising debts, as per the police.

As it had become difficult to continue his business, he said he was taking his family members with him and apologised to his father-in-law.

Police said that he had been depressed for some time at being unable to face his debtors.

On Tuesday morning, he announced his decision to commit suicide to his brother-in-law Kumaravel over phone.

When his father-in-law rushed to the flat on Nandhanar Street in Thiruvalluvar Nagar, he found the family members lying in a pool of blood.

Damodaran was lying unconscious with his throat and hands slit while the victims were found dead with their throats slit.

A sharp knife used for the murder was also found next to the crime scene.

The bodies were recovered and sent to the Chromepet GH for post-mortem.

A senior police officer said it was too early to arrive at any conclusion and said an investigation is underway.