Elderly couple found dead: Police suspect suicide in Panchasayar flat; note mentions Rs 1 lakh, tell me about this news today

An elderly coupleidentified as Asit Ash and his wife Mandira Ashwas found dead inside their ground-floor flat in the Naba Malancha area of Nayabad, under Kolkata’s Panchasayar police station.

The Statesman

• The Discovery: Neighbors and relatives grew concerned after getting no response from the couple despite repeated knocking on their door, which was locked from the inside. Upon peeking through a rear window, relatives spotted the man hanging and alerted the authorities. Panchasayar police broke open the door and found Asit Ash hanging from a ceiling fan, while his wife lay on the bed in the same room. Both were taken to the hospital, where doctors declared them dead.

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• The Note and Money: Investigators recovered a handwritten suicide note along with Rs 1 lakh in cash left on a table. The note specifically requested that the money be used to cover their funeral expenses so that no one else would have to bear the cost.

  Hindustan Times+ 1

• Background and Motive: According to relatives and neighbors, the couple had been coping with severe, long-term depression following the death of their only son approximately two decades ago. In addition, both had been struggling with multiple age-related health ailments.

  Hindustan Times

• Investigation Status: A case of unnatural death was registered, and the Homicide Department of the Kolkata Police joined the probe. Both bodies were sent for post-mortem examinations to determine the exact cause and timing of the wife’s death, as police investigate whether it was a mutual suicide pact or a case where the husband took his wife’s life before ending his own.

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