Debt drives family to death, neighbours learn of suicides from YouTube

The proverbial loneliness of life in a metro played out in Kalkaji, a well-known residential and commercial locality of South Delhi, where three members of a family – a woman and her two adult sons - died of suicide driven by massive financial debt.

The deceased were identified as Anuradha Kapoor (52) and her two sons - Ashish Kapoor (32) and Chaitanya Kapoor (27). All three were found hanging inside their second-floor flat in Kalkaji.

The incident came to light on December 12, and neighbours say they came to know about the tragic deaths only from social media.

In fact, it was only when a bailiff, accompanied by local police staff, reached the house to execute a court order of possession, they were greeted by the corpses. After repeated knocks went unanswered, the team could enter the house using a duplicate key.

The incident has drawn attention to the quiet isolation many families experience in the national capital, as in other large cities. In Kalkaji, neighbours said they were unaware of the financial distress unfolding behind closed doors in their locality.

The family had withdrawn after the death of the patriarch due to Covid-19 complications, an event that marked a sharp decline in their financial stability. With the main earning member gone, the family’s economic condition reportedly deteriorated.

The young boys, who had entire life ahead of them, had been left with no hope. They were jobless. The family had been living off loans until the debt became larger than their life.

Two days after the incident on Sunday, neighbours said the family was rarely seen outside and remained largely unknown in the area.

The house is located on a narrow residential street in Kalkaji, lined with multi-storey buildings and small shops. The building has a shop on the ground floor, with residential floors above. The second-floor flat where the family lived has a small balcony facing the street. A tree stands in front of the building, its branches partially covering the balconies.

People passing by slowed down, some stopping briefly to point at the house before moving on. Neighbours said they came to know about the deaths only after police vehicles arrived or through videos circulating online. “I found out when the police came,” said Sonam, who lives just in front of the building. “I had never spoken to them.”

A shopkeeper, who runs a general store nearby and also sells tea, said he had never seen anyone from the Kapoor family visiting his shop.

Atul, who runs a shop in the basement of the same building, said the family kept to themselves. He also claimed that earlier also they attempted suicide. “They did not talk to anyone,” he said.

An autorickshaw driver, who parks his vehicle near the building, said he had seen the two sons coming in and out but never speaking to neighbours or shopkeepers. “I have seen the boys, but they never talked to anyone,” he said.

Some residents said they learnt about the deaths through YouTube videos. “I saw it on YouTube. Only then I came to know about the incident,” said one neighbour.

Others expressed regret, saying it is common not to know tenants living nearby. “These days, no one knows who lives next door,” another resident said, adding “We usually know the owners, not the tenants.”