JHARSUGUDA: In a shocking incident, a couple with their 12-year-old daughter were found dead in their car with gun-shot injuries on their bodies at Lakhanpur on Thursday.
Police said growing loan burden caused by online betting may have prompted 37-year-old Sujit Roy to kill his wife Khusbu and their daughter Arpita.
When the bodies were found in the car, bearing registration number OD-15-Y-8228 with its ignition and air-conditioner running at Lakhanpur in the morning, it sent shockwaves across the town. Sujit was found slumped at the wheel, with Khusbu on co-passenger seat and Arpita at the back.
IGP Himanshu Lal, SP Smit P Parmar and other senior officers rushed to the spot and began investigation.
During preliminary investigation, police found Sujit’s mobile phone which gave away a lot of information. Parmar said preliminary investigation suggested Sujit suffered financial losses amounting to `4.2 lakh through online betting. His apparent struggle to repay the debts borrowed from multiple sources including money-lenders, may have forced him on this tragic path.
Police said, Sujit was found to be betting heavily on cricket, casino and other such apps but had lost heavily in the last three months. He also had taken loans to pay back.
Sujit worked with Vedanta Ltd in Jharsuguda. The family belonged to Kalinagar within Brajarajnagar Orient police limits.
Contradicting assumptions, Sujit’s father, Sameer Roy, recounted what looked like a normal morning with family before Sujit left. Concerns arose when he failed to return home, prompting the family to report his disappearance to the police. He had left behind his three-year-old daughter at home.
As the investigation unfolded, the community mourned the loss, with Sujit, his wife, and elder daughter cremated together. Lakhanpur police station continues investigation to find more details into the tragic incident.