RAIPUR: A 35-year-old man in deep financial crisis gave poison, on the pretext of offering medicine against coronavirus, to his family turning the condition of all five members critical at Kharora, about 18 km from Raipur city on Saturday.
According to the police, a resident of Kharora Prem Narayan Dewangan offered a drink laced with poison to his wife Damini (30), two daughters Priya (11) and Gayatri (10) and son Kuleshwar (7) apparently citing the reason that the drink will work as an effective medicine to counter the infection of Covid-19.
“After serving the drink to all his family members, Dewangan later consumed the same in an attempt to kill himself. The condition of all five is critical.
According to the locals, he was under deep financial stress owing to loss of work and no source of income for the past five months during the pandemic,” a police officer said.
The eldest daughter told the police that her father mixed some ingredients in a glass and offered them to drink as the medicines against coronavirus.
Dewangan’s neighbours informed the police that he was also addicted to alcohol owing to which he was under increased debt as he also sold his only property—agriculture land, a few months ago.