Daijiworld Media Network-Udupi (UM)
Udupi, Jul 16: A new lead has emerged in the suicide pact case of Padubelle where the four members of the family were found dead.
Now it has been revealed that deceased jeweller Shankaracharya had pledged gold worth Rs 65 lacs at Innanje cooperative bank, Padubelle branch.
The bank staff developed some suspicion after the death of the jeweller as Shankaracharya had pledged lot of gold at the bank. When they checked, they discovered to their surprise that the gold pledged with them for the value of Rs 65 lacs was fake.
Police in Shirva have taken up the investigation after this new lead emerged lead.
It is said that Shankaracharya lived a luxurious life and possessed two cars and two bikes till he died.
More details will follow.
Earlier report
Udupi: Mass suicide by Padubelle family - Financial issues most likely reason
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)
Udupi, Jul 16: District superintendent of police, K T Balakrishna, is leading an investigation undertaken by Shirva police about mass suicide by all four members of a goldsmith's family at Padubelle near Shirva on Thursday morning.
The police have undertaken detailed inspection of Shankaracharya's house and jewellery store that have been taken into possession by them for investigation. Their investigation is moving ahead from different angles, and documents relating to bank transactions, account books of the shop and other papers are being verified to conclude the reason which prompted Acharya to kill himself and other family members.
The police who have verified calls made by Acharya's cellphone reportedly found that he had sought loans from a few people to conduct elder daughter's marriage on September 3, and a few had promised to lend to him before that date. He had raised finance from chit fund and borrowed at high rate of interest to pay college fees of younger daughter. Mounting debt mismatched by dwindling income perhaps was playing on his mind and he would have been in a quandary over performing the marriage of his daughter by spending heavily, it is being thought. He perhaps decided to feed cyanide to family members too because his love and care for them as his death would have made them to face insult and bleak future.
People have been discussing many theories about these deaths and one hopes that police will be able to find out the exact reason for this mass suicide that has shocked the region. Shirva police station house officer Narasimha Shetty, under the guidance of Kaup police circle inspector, Halamurthy Rao, is investigating the case.