Ahmedabad, July 22 (IANS) A case of attempted mass suicide has surfaced from Vadodara on Tuesday, where a petrol pump owner and his family allegedly consumed poison due to overwhelming financial distress.

The incident occurred in the Gorwa area, where 52-year-old Subhash Nandesari, along with his wife and three children, attempted to end their lives.

However, timely hospitalisation saved all five family members. According to police and hospital sources, Subhash Nandesari – who owns a petrol pump in the GIDC area – consumed a poisonous substance along with his 49-year-old wife, 23-year-old son, 17-year-old daughter, and 5-year-old son.

The family, however, reportedly vomited shortly after ingesting the substance and managed to reach Sayaji Hospital on their own. Medical intervention prevented any fatalities.

Police investigations revealed that Nandesari was under severe financial pressure. He had taken a substantial loan from a bank and additional sums from relatives to run the petrol pump business. His total debt is estimated to be around Rs 6 crore.

In a statement to authorities, Nandesari cited the unmanageable burden of debt as the reason behind the drastic decision.

Authorities are continuing their investigation while the family remains under observation at the hospital. Over the past three financial years (2020‑21 to 2022‑23), Gujarat recorded 25,478 suicides, including 495 students, with 8,307 cases in 2020‑21, 8,614 in 2021‑22, and 8,557 in 2022‑23, placing Gujarat’s suicide rate at approximately 11.6 per lakh population.

Major urban centres – Ahmedabad (3,280 deaths), Surat (2,862), and Rajkot (1,287) – accounted for the highest number of suicides.

Recent months have seen a surge in family-based suicides: 22 mass suicide attempts within 15 months, 17 of which proved fatal, across districts like Morbi, Vadodara, Surendranagar, and Surat – often triggered by mounting debt or loan shark harassment.

Financial distress has also driven individuals to drastic steps, with one-third of calls to Gujarat’s mental health helplines related to monetary losses – often linked to stock-market crashes or gambling losses.

Other distressing cases include recent convicts for abetment of suicide tied to predatory lending and harassment in Ahmedabad and Statewide coverage of couple-and-child suicides in Patan and Sabarkantha also illustrate a pressing crisis tied to loan-induced stress.

–IANS

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