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09 October 2024

Family suicide in Dubai: Ex-boss visited parents on fateful night

Published
By V M Sathish

Cryptic clues have begun to emerge in the mysterious family suicide in Dubai over the weekend.

An Indian man and his daughter were found dead inside their apartment in Dubai while his wife was in critical condition after slashing her veins in an apparent suicide bid, a senior police officer said on Sunday.
Police found the man’s body hanging by the ceiling in his flat and his little daughter dead in her room without any immediate signs as to what caused her death.
According to neighbours of the family that lived in Flat No. 3 on the second floor of Building No. 44 behind Al Mussalla Tower near Old Pakistan Consulate area, Rijesh and his six-year-old daughter Avanti were found dead in the apartment after relatives failed to contact them on their mobile phones or land line.
The man’s wife was found in the bathroom screaming hysterically after slashing her veins and hospital sources said she was in critical condition. The couple was in the thirties.
This afternoon, the two suicide notes allegedly left behind by the man seem to implicate his former employer who apparently visited the family in an inebriated condition late on Saturday night and created a ruckus.
“A suicide note has been found. We heard screams from the apartment in the morning. Rijesh was found dead, hanging at the end of a red plastic rope from the ceiling fan. We don’t know the reason for the suicide or even if it is a suicide. The family appeared to be quite happy,” one of the neighbours said.
According to information received by Emirates 24|7, Rijesh, an employee of National Panasonic, had informed his parents that Polo – his former employer, who is also a family friend – was creating problems for him.
The lady, Sreesha is said to be recovering in hospital.
Polo allegedly visited the family with a couple of other men at midnight and took away Rijesh’s laptop as well as a signed cheque. It is being speculated that this could have led the man to end his life.
“He came in drunk with two others from the human resources department and created scenes. They took away Rijesh’s laptop. The family was living happily. This episode has shaken all of us,” a source familiar with the incident told this website.
Meanwhile, Polo, who is a businessman in the UAE, left for India immediately thereafter and is likely to return shortly. His family is based in the US.
“We don’t know why he went to India suddenly. He has been a family friend,” the source said.
According to Dubai Police, the incident could be an act of a family suicide; however, there are some grey areas that need to be verified. “Rijesh gave poison to his daughter and wife and hanged himself from the ceiling fan.
Shreesha later also tried to cut her vein and neck,” sources said.
The suicide notes are now in police custody.
Polo was a resident of the same building earlier. It is not yet clear if Rijesh had any financial disputes with Polo relating to end-of-service benefits. He switched jobs just two months ago.
Rijesh has been in the UAE for about a decade and his parents and relatives are also live here.
Shreesha is recovering at the Intensive Care Unit of Al Rashid Hospital Dubai.
“We are investigating the motives behind this mass suicide,” said Brigadier Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansoori, head of the Criminal Investigation Department.
“We are shocked. They went to see DSF fireworks. Yesterday night, they went to a nearby grocery and bought milk, bread and other daily necessities,” said a neighbour.
The family had been living in the same apartment for more than four years and neighours and friends could not see any reason for their suicide.
Bur Dubai police is guarding the building. The bodies have been removed.
Meanwhile, another neighbour said: “Bur Dubai Police came to the building after relatives suspected that something was wrong with the family. Some neighbours told relatives that they heard screams from the flat and so the relatives started enquiring.
“Also, the six-year-old child did not turn up for her daily tuition class. We called the police and the room was broken open to find the man hanging from the ceiling fan.
“There was no response from the mobile phone of Rijesh and the family’s land line phone was kept in the engaged position.”
According to one of deceased’s relative, Rijesh was working in a Dubai Airport Free Zone company and had swtiched over to National Panasonic a few months ago.
His wife is working for Al Riyami Group of Companies.
Their child was a student of Our Own Indian School, Dubai. They said the family did not seem to have any problems.
“Recently, Rijesh had gone to India, purchased a new vehicle and started building a house. He came back after laying the foundation of his house,” a relative said.
Many distressed Indians in the UAE have killed themselves, the latest case being reported from Ras Al Khaimah, where a family committed suicide due to financial problems.
The reason for the latest deaths is yet to be officially released.