A 51-year-old businessman allegedly ended his life by consuming poison at his house in outer Delhi”s Ranibagh area after being “blackmailed” by his business partners, police said on Sunday.
The deceased, identified as Bhupender Gupta, dealt in rice trading business at Naya Bazaar in old Delhi, they said.
The incident took place on June 25. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead, police said.
In a suicide note left behind by Gupta, he blamed the owner of a private school in Rohini, his son and the principal of the school for allegedly harassing him and threatening him, they said.
He wrote that he took the extreme step due to the harassment by his business partners, police said.
In a complaint to police, Gupta”s family has alleged that the accused persons forced him to mortgage his property. Gupta was trying to get the property papers for months but the accused kept refusing to give it back. After the government prohibited schools from charging full fees from parents during the lockdown, the school suffered huge losses. And to make up for the losses, they wanted to grab Gupta”s valuables and property, the family alleged.
One of the accused also threatened Gupta and his nephew that “you can die or consume poison or kill each other…we will defame you,” states the FIR lodged in the case.
According to police, the ownership documents of Gupta”s residence were kept as collateral security by the accused persons with a bank and they were pressuring Gupta to transfer one more property document in their favour on the plea of settling business transactions.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) A Koan said a case was registered under section 306 (abetment of suicide) of the IPC at Rani Bagh police station.
Police said all the allegations are being looked into and the matter is under investigation.
