"Mangaraj was in a deep financial crisis."
In a shocking incident, an Indian man allegedly murdered his wife and nine-year-old son in the early hours of November 2, 2021, at their home in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
It was reported that afterwards, he sent a message to his brother-in-law, informing him of his actions.
As a result, he was later arrested.
The man has been identified as Abanti Bijay Mangaraj. It was discovered that he unsuccessfully attempted to take his own life.
Police said Mangaraj was taken to hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, they recovered the bodies of 35-year-old Swarnalata and Jitu, aged 10, from the property that they rented.
During the investigation, it was found that Mangaraj used to work as a salesman, however, the Covid-19 lockdowns led to him losing his job.
He then tried to make money by trading shares but incurred heavy losses.
It is believed that he amassed debts of Rs. 20 Lakh (£19,000) after borrowing money from lenders. He was supposed to pay back the lenders on the day of the double murder.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Umashankar Dash said:
“Mangaraj was in a deep financial crisis. We heard he used to work as a salesman in a private company before he was retrenched during lockdown this year.
“This angle is being verified.
“He tried his luck in investment in the share market but incurred heavy losses.”
Police said that his financial frustrations had a negative effect on his personal life.
The Indian man frequently took his anger out on his wife and son, resulting in disputes between the couple.
The evening before the murders, Mangaraj and Swarnalata got into another argument over his debts.
Unable to cope with the frustrations, Mangaraj allegedly killed his family.
DCP Dash continued: “Mangaraj mixed sleeping pills in the food of his wife and son on Monday night.
“Early morning, he strangled them to death in their sleep. He attempted to commit suicide and failed.”
“Later he fled home before being rounded up by the police.”
Police added that after he fled, Mangaraj told his brother-in-law about his crimes in a WhatsApp message.
DCP Dash added: “Initial investigation suggests Abanti killed his wife and son over a financial issue.
“Scientific team had visited the spot to collect evidence and he has been detained.”
Mangaraj and Swarnalata had been reportedly married since 2010.
Police say that Mangaraj did not speak to his family members as he was not on good terms with them.
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