Dubai, Jan 16 (Emirates 24 x 7): An Indian couple who decided to commit a suicide in Dubai murdered their seven-year-old daughter by strangling her with a pillow before embarking on their attempt that ended up in the death of the husband and the survival of his wife, according to a senior police officer.
The 35-year-old wife, who is bed-ridden in hospital after slashing her veins, told police that she had helped her husband, Rajesh, in killing their daughter before their suicide attempt at their flat in Bur Dubai.
“During a brief interrogation at hospital, the woman confessed that she grabbed her daughter’s hands and paralyzed her movement…her father then put a pillow on her face and strangled her to death,” said Brigadier Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansoori, director of Dubai’s criminal investigation department.
Earlier yesterday, cryptic clues began emerging in the mysterious family suicide in Dubai over the weekend.
Quoted by the Dubai-based Arabic language daily 'Emarat Al Youm', he said police found two letters left by the husband, one of which he explained why he had decided to commit a suicide.
“He said the decision was a result of a dispute with an old friend at a company where they had both worked and that he was insulted by his friend over a debt of Dh15,000,” Mansoori said.
“He wrote that he had felt very upset and weak because of this problem and that he totally lost his desire to love…he said his wife had the same feeling and hence they decided to end their life and their daughter’s life.”
After a report from relatives, police broke into Rajesh’s apartment on Saturday and found him hanging from the ceiling. His daughter was found dead in her room while his wife was screaming hysterically in the bathroom after slashing her wrist veins.
Rijesh, family suicide victim, had his mouth taped shut
The mystery surrounding the Indian family suicide in Bur Dubai has taken yet another turn, as the deceased father, Rijesh, found dead hanging from the ceiling fan, reportedly had masking tape over his mouth.
It is not clear whether Rijesh himself taped his own mouth as his hands were free.
Meanwhile, his former employer, PN, could not be contacted for comments. One of his office staff confirmed Rijesh had worked as an office administrator but left the company about four to five months ago.
Rijesh's daughter was a victim in the tragedy, but his wife survived. She continues to remain in semi-conscious state in hosiptal and responds when she is called by her name.
She was found with cuts to her wrists in a semi-conscious state in the family's bathroom. The investigation is waiting for her to recover so she could explain what happened in the flat on the fateful 14th January.
The suicide note found at the scene clearly blames Rijesh's former sponsor over some issues. His former employer is a well-known figure in the Indian community.