Debt-ridden trader shoots himself at Haibowal house

Ludhiana: The owner of an auto spare parts shop shot himself dead with his licensed revolver at his house in Durgapuri, Haibowal, on Monday morning. Forty-year-old Neeraj Kataria’s wife, Jyoti, and two sons had gone to Rajasthan on Sunday night. When the incident took place, his elderly parents were at home.

On receiving the information, additional deputy commissioner of police-III Sameer Verma, assistant commissioner of police (west) Gurpreet Singh and Haibowal cops reached the spot.

Verma said, “With his .32 bore licensed revolver, Neeraj fired two shots at his chest and died on the spot. He took the step at the first floor of his house. His elderly parents were on the ground floor when they heard the noise and thought something has fallen off. When they went upstairs, Neeraj’s room was locked from inside. As their repeated knocks went unanswered, they called up their younger son who had gone out for work.”

When their second son came home, he broke open the door and found Neeraj dead in a pool of blood. The family then called the police. The police have recovered a suicide note from the spot in which Neeraj has accused Rajan Jain of Karol Bagh and Harish Sabharwal of 33 Feet Road, who had lent money to him, of harassing him and forcing him to take the extreme step.

In the note, Neerja has also apologised to his family and stated that the moneylenders should not harass his brother.

Verma said, “Rajan and Harish were harassing Neeraj to return the money. That is why he committed suicide.”

The Haibowal police have registered a case against Rajan and Harish under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) of the IPC.

Neeraj’s wife and children have left Rajasthan for the city. They had gone to a religious place there with the locality residents in a bus.