Family of 5 members committed suicide

Chandigarh, June 21: A 21-year-old barber poisoned to death his four siblings with burgers in Punjab's Kapurthala town before committing suicide himself, police said on Wednesday, citing poverty as the reason.

Two more siblings of the barber, who ate the poison-laced burgers, were admitted to the Kapurthala Civil Hospital and doctors said that their condition was serious.

Police found a suicide note in the pocket of the barber, Abhimanyu, in which he said that he was taking the step due to poverty that the family was facing, Kapurthala station house officer Jatinderjit Singh told media in Kapurthala, 180 km from here, on Wednesday.

Abhimanyu gave the burgers to his siblings on Tuesday night.

Abhimanyu's father, Raj Kishore, a migrant laborer, who had migrated to Punjab over two decades ago, rushed the seven children to the hospital. However, the doctors could not save five of them.

The victims were identified as his siblings Anu Kumari, 17, Ashu Kumari, 15, Anurag Kumar, 10 and Archana Kumari, 7, besides Abhimanyu. Police have registered a case and started inquest proceedings.