Music group owner attempts suicide with family, loses two children in Rajkot

RAJKOT: Two persons died and three of the same family survived in a suicide pact in Bhader village of Dhoraji taluka in Rajkot district on Friday afternoon.
Investigation revealed that the family of Shabbir Rathod (35) was passing through severe financial crisis due to the lockdown and they were unable to repay money borrowed from relatives. Rathod had a small music group in Porbandar and performed in marriages and other festive occasions.However, due to the pandemic, he was left without any work for several months
Police said Rathod and his wife Rukhsana (30), threw their 10-year-old daughter Rehana, eight-year-old son Mohammed and youngest four-year-old son Ahmed in the check dam in the village before jumping into it to end their lives.
While the villagers rescued Shabbir, Rukhsana and Ahmed, Rehana and Mohammed drowned.
“Investigation revealed that the couple had been passing through a severe financial crunch since the lockdown. In order to evade their creditors, mostly relatives from, they left their house in Porbandar and shifted to Upleta. After staying at a relative's place in Upleta for three days, they left saying they were going to Veraval. However, instead of going to Veraval, they went to Bhader and took the drastic step,” said an official from Patanvav police station.
“The bodies of all the victims were fished out. While Shabbir, Rukhsana and Ahmed had survived, Rehana and Mohammed were declared dead in the Moti Maran government hospital,” added the official.