Thane: Debt-ridden man and family attempt suicide

Four members of a family from Ambernath (west) have been admitted at Sion Hospital after allegedly consuming sleeping pills in an attempt to commit suicide. Police said they have found a suicide note that blames harassment from money lenders as the reason for the drastic step.

Arjun Gur's sister and uncle Ampayya Gur at the hospital

Arjun Gur (34), his wife Jennifer (30), daughter Simran (14) and Akelna D'Souza (65) his mother-in-law, consumed the pills. They were brought to the hospital in an unconscious state and Jennifer and Simran are said to be out of danger. The Gur family was first admitted to the Central Hospital at Ulhasnagar at 11.30 pm on Sunday. They were later shifted to the BMC-run Sion Hospital around 4 am.

Arjun owns a small canteen on Badlapur Road in Ambernath. Ampayya Gur, Arjun's uncle said, "After consuming sleeping pills, Arjun informed his friend Sanjay Shankar Ilche about it. He informed his nephew (he worked with Arjun and stays near his house) who immediately rushed to the house and took them to the hospital. The door was locked from inside and he had to break it."

He found the family in an unconscious state. "They called an ambulance and took them to the Central Hospital at Ulhasnagar. As the condition of Arjun and Akelna was serious, they had to be shifted to Sion Hospital along with the others," Ampayya said.

The relatives also told mid-day that the family was not in touch with any of them, and they had allegedly borrowed money from some unknown person and were not able to return it.

Police Inspector Sunil Ghuge from Ambernath Police station said, "We registered a case against Arjun Gur under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 309 (attempt to commit suicide) of IPC. We also came to know from a suicide note we got from their house, that he had borrowed money and the money lenders were harassing him. So, in severe depression he tried to commit suicide along with his family members".