Hyderabad: Financial Stress, Forced Conversion By Neighbours Behind Couple's Death
Debt and alleged forced conversion attempts by neighbors caused immense pain to the couple, which drove them to take this drastic step.
Hyderabad: Startling revelations have come out during the investigation of the death of a couple who died by suicide by jumping in front of a speeding train near Ghatkesar railway station on Thursday night. Financial distress over non-repayment of a huge sum of Rs 20 lakhs, and being pressured to convert their religion and mental harassment by their neighbour couple were said to be the cause of the couple to take this extreme step.
The victims, Ravikumar, a rice trader, and his wife, Sirisha, were from Papayyapet village in Chennaraopet mandal of Warangal district and were living in the Kuntluru area of Hayatnagar in Hyderabad with their minor children.
According to the preliminary investigation and after speaking to the deceased children Sushanth and Vidwan and Sirisha’s parents, the police got to know that their neighbours Venkat and Pramila were pressuring them to convert to Christianity. They would constantly force them to come to them to church, and out of friendship, the couple obliged their request and went for prayers on Sundays. However, Sirisha clearly stated that she had no intentions of converting her religion, which also led to mild disputes between the couple over this issue.
Later, Venkat and Pramila came out with a proposition of starting a ready-mix concrete business and convinced them that investing in this venture would yield huge profits. Since they hadn't converted their religion, the couple thought they could do business together. It is reported that Ravikumar pledged his wife's gold jewelry at a bank and gave Rs 20 lakh to Venkat to purchase a ready-mix concrete vehicle. Venkat had promised a monthly income of Rs. 20,000, but he paid it for only two or three months before backing out. Ravikumar and his wife suffered severe mental anguish as the interest on the pledged gold mounted and the neighbor failed to repay the money. Unable to bear the neighbor's harassment, the couple decided to vacate their home and move elsewhere; they had even packed their belongings.
However, police analysis of call data revealed that on the evening of July 2, the couple went to Ghatkesar railway station and spoke at length on the phone with the accused, Venkat, just half an hour before taking their own lives.
Venkat and Pramila, after hearing the news of their death, locked their house and absconded. Based on the statements given by the family, Government Railway Police, Secunderabad, who are handling the case, have registered a case of abetment to suicide and have formed teams to trace the accused couple.
