Nagpur:

A Kerala-based couple faced with mounting debts due to cancer treatment died by suicide in Nagpur, a police official said.

Riju Vijayan alias Vijay Nair (42) and his wife Priya Nair (40) allegedly consumed a soft drink laced with poison on Wednesday, the Jaripatka police station official said.

“They were living in a rented accommodation in Gajanan Nagar. Priya was diagnosed with brain cancer some time ago and the two had come to Nagpur for treatment. Since Vijay had to spend at least Rs 20,000 per week for his wife’s cancer treatment, he started taking loans from people,” the official said.

“He was distressed as some of the loans had to be paid on July 1. So, he bought poison and the couple consumed it with a soft drink. Their daughter was asleep at the time. A case of accidental death was registered and further probe is underway,” he said.

The couple were from Thiruvananthapuram, the official added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Nagpur:

 A Nagpur-based businessman was duped of Rs 5.39 crore by a gang of 18 persons on the promise of high returns on investment in foreign countries, a police official said on Monday.

The Economic Offences Wing official said Ankurkumar Agrawal, a coal trader, registered a case with Dhantoli police station based on which a probe began.

“As per Agrawal, a man identified as Mandar Kolte got in touch with him and lured him into a plan about investing in foreign countries. Kolte was assisted by 17 persons, most of them from Mumbai. They even took Agrawal to various five star hotels for meetings to convince him,” the official said.

“The victim transferred Rs 5.39 crore into various bank accounts of the accused as per the investment plan but soon realised he was duped. A demand draft given to him by the accused also turned out to be fake,” he added.

A case was registered against 18 persons under the Indian Penal Code for cheating, impersonation, criminal breach of trust and other offences, the official informed.

No one has been arrested in the case and probe was underway, the official added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)