Debt-ridden Ahmedabad businessman kills wife, two daughters

AHMEDABAD: In a gruesome incident, a businessman killed his wife and two daughters in cold blood while they were asleep at their residence in

Ratnam Towers

in posh

Vastrapur

area early on Tuesday morning.


The triple murder was committed by Dharmesh Shah (49), who is chairman of Diva Infracon, a city-based construction firm with around 70-odd employees. The victims have been identified as his wife Ami (49) and daughters Heli (24), and

Diksha

(19). Dharmesh, who is the complainant in this case as he is the only witness, was arrested by Vastrapur cops.

The incident took place at about 7.15 am when Dharmesh woke up and got hold of his two licensed firearms – a Russian-make .32 pistol and a 12-bore gun. He killed his wife who was sleeping next to him with the pistol from point-blank range.

As the pistol got jammed, he then got hold of the gun and killed his two daughters in their respective bedrooms.

After the triple murders, Dharmesh called up his friend Dinesh Prajapati to inform that he was committing suicide after the killing spree.

“Dinesh immediately got Dharmesh’s younger brother

Viren

in conference call. The duo convinced him not to take any untoward step till they reached his home. Later, Dharmesh dialled 100 and informed cops about the murders and that he was home waiting for them,” said M M

Jadeja

, inspector of Vastrapur police station.

K L N Rao, special CP, Sector I, said that Dharmesh was reeling under a debt of Rs 15 crore. “His daughter Heli was to go for advanced studies to Australia and thus he needed Rs 70 lakh. The issue had become a bone of contention between Dharmesh, his wife and Heli leading to verbal duel. Dharmesh has confessed that family discord over this issue pushed him to kill his family members and commit suicide,”

Rao

said.

Cops said Dharmesh has recorded in his statement that while he loaded his gun to kill himself, he could not do it. “I was not able to muster the courage to pull the trigger, Dharmesh has recorded in his statement,” a cop said.