‘Job loss, financial stress’: Pune family of 3 dies by ‘suicide’; note found

PUNE: A family of three allegedly attempted suicide by inhaling poisonous fumes from coal mixed with a chemical inside their rented flat in Pimpri’s Morwadi, police said.The man died at the scene, while his wife and 19-year-old daughter, who were admitted to hospital in critical condition, later died during treatment.The incident took place on Saturday morning.The deceased have been identified as Vinod Pillai (50), his wife Shailaja (45), and their daughter Purnima (19).According to police, the family had been living in the second-floor flat for the past two years. A note recovered from the house and another found on Vinod Pillai’s mobile phone suggested they had been struggling with financial problems.Senior inspector Suhas Awhad said Vinod had lost his job at an engineering company around one-and-a-half years ago and had remained unemployed since then.“About one-and-a-half years ago, the man had lost his job at the engineering company. He had been unemployed ever since. The family was going through a financial crisis. The note elaborated on this crisis. The same note has been found on his cellphone,” Awhad said.Police said the family, originally from Kerala, allegedly mixed a chemical with coal and inhaled the fumes in an apparent attempt to end their lives.“We have collected samples of the coal and other materials. We will be sending the samples for forensic analysis. We have informed their relatives about the incident,” Awhad said.Police have launched an investigation. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, and the samples collected from the flat will be examined by forensic experts.