Punjab: Driven by poverty, man poisons self, four siblings

Kapurthala: A poverty-stricken 21-year-old man allegedly laced burgers with poison killing his four siblings before taking his own life here, police said on Wednesday.

Four of the children who died were minors that included two girls.

Police said the incident took place at Luxmi Nagar locality here yesterday night.

Police identified the deceased as Abhimanyu (21), his two minor brothers Arshu (15), Anurag (12) and two sisters Anu (18) and Archna (8).

SSP Sandeep Sharma said Abhimanyu took the extreme step as the family was living in extreme poverty.

He bought burgers from the market and allegedly laced it with some poisonous substance and asked all the deceased to eat it. He himself consumed it to end his life, Sharma said.

While Anu, Archna and Arshu died in local civil hospital Abhimanyu and Anurag, who was physically challenged, died in a hospital at Jalandhar, according to civil hospital SMO Dr Anup Megh.

Abhimanyu had also given the burger to his 7-year-old sister Aarti, who has been admitted to a hospital.

In her statement, Aarti said that she vomited soon after consuming the burger.

The deceased Abhimanyu left a suicide note, saying, "Papa, I miss you and am sorry for it as we were a burden on the family", police said.

The father of the deceased Kishore Thakur, who is a barber, was not in the city when the incident occurred.

Police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.