CHANDIGARH: Four members of a family allegedly consumed a poisonous substance at their home in Punjab's Patiala, leaving the father and his 11-year-old daughter dead, while the mother and son remain in critical condition.
The deceased have been identified as Vikas Batish (40) and his daughter Khushi (11), who died during treatment. Batish's wife Tamanna (36) and their 14-year-old son Kanav are undergoing treatment, with doctors closely monitoring their condition.
The family, residents of Officers' Colony in Patiala, allegedly took the extreme step on Wednesday night. Police suspect financial distress may have led to the incident.
According to police, Government Rajindra Hospital informed them late on Wednesday that four members of a family had been admitted after allegedly consuming poison.
Preliminary investigations suggest the family had been facing financial difficulties for some time. Batish, who previously worked as an officer with a private bank, had reportedly been unemployed and under financial stress.
A police team reached the hospital immediately and launched an investigation. The duty magistrate was called to record the statements of family members, and the bodies have been sent for postmortem.
DSP (City-1) Sanjeev Singla said preliminary findings point to a domestic financial dispute as the possible reason behind the incident.
"Family members and neighbours are being questioned to ascertain the circumstances under which the family took this extreme step," he said.