New evidence has come up suggesting the suicide of four members of a family in Kochi earlier this week was related to harassment linked to an online loan app.
Four members of a family were found dead in their residence in Kadamakudy in Ernakulam district.
The victims were identified as Nijo (39), his wife Shilpa (29), and their two children Ebel (7) and Aron (5).
Nijo and his wife were found hanging and their children were lying unconscious on a bed.
Now, several relatives and friends of the deceased have approached the police claiming to have received morphed pictures of the victim, according to local media reports.
This has led the police to investigate the angle of possible harassment related to online loan apps, said Asianet News.
It is reported that the deceased woman had taken a loan through an online loan app and fell into a possible trap. The fraudsters allegedly began harassing the victim and her family after she was unable to repay the loan. The victim reportedly received threatening messages alleging a default in loan repayments.
Local media reports quoted the police sources as saying that when the victim was still unable to repay the loan, the fraudsters had sent morphed pictures of the woman to her relatives' phones.
A detailed investigation is being conducted by the police. The cremation of the victim along with the three family members, including her two children, has been completed.