Patna:

A desperate struggle with mounting debt ended in tragedy for a family in Bihar, where five members consumed poison in the early hours of Saturday morning. One, the father, has died, while the remaining four are in critical condition, fighting for their lives, police said. The chilling sequence of events unfolded in Bihar’s Banka district, where financial hardship, allegedly exacerbated by harassment from bank agents over unpaid loans, pushed the family to suicide. 

According to the police, the head of the family, Kanhaiya Mahato, who worked as an auto driver, had taken loans from multiple private banks to support his family. However, the relentless pressure to repay, coupled with the family’s dire financial straits, became unbearable.

“Father and mother said their reputation was ruined, and they couldn’t live with the shame. They told us we would all go together,” said 16-year-old Savita Kumari, Kanhaiya’s daughter.

The family ingested sulphas tablets, commonly used as a pesticide, at around 2:00 am on Saturday. The youngest child, eight-year-old Rakesh Kumar, reportedly spit out the tablets after placing them in his mouth, narrowly escaping the fate that claimed his father.

The family’s plight came to light when Kanhaiya’s sister-in-law, Bina Devi, received a frantic call from a younger relative, urging her to come to their aid. The victims were rushed to Amarpur Referral Hospital before four of them were referred to Mayaganj Hospital in Bhagalpur for advanced care.

Kanhaiya Mahato died en route to Bhagalpur. His wife, Geeta Devi, and the three children remain critical.