Credit Card Harassment Alleged in Surat Mass Suicide
Accused Vaibhav Rungta Arrested in Delhi; 7-Year-Old Survivor’s Statement Key to Probe
- Three-page suicide note details alleged financial abuse
- Seven-year-old survivor reportedly spoon-fed poison
- Accused arrested in Delhi; transit remand denied
- Police audit bank, credit card transactions for evidence
GG News Bureau
Surat, 28th Feb: Days after a mass suicide in Gujarat’s diamond city sent shockwaves across the country, the man accused of driving the Khetan family to the brink has been arrested in Delhi.
Vaibhav Rungta was taken into custody by a Vesu police team following technical surveillance. However, a local Delhi court refused to grant transit remand, directing the accused to appear before the Surat court instead.
The investigation into the deaths of Balmukund Khetan, his wife Priyanka, and their elder daughter Bhavya has uncovered allegations of financial exploitation and sustained mental harassment.
A three-page suicide note written in Hindi allegedly details how Rungta misused Khetan’s credit cards. According to the note, when Khetan—described as a stock market professional originally from Bihar—demanded repayment, he was subjected to verbal abuse and threats.
The only survivor, seven-year-old Prithvi, is undergoing treatment. Relatives said she told them she had been “spoon-fed” something by her parents. Investigators believe the children were administered poison before the couple consumed it themselves. Police plan to record her official statement once doctors certify her recovery.
Authorities confirmed that the family consumed aluminium phosphide, a highly toxic substance commonly used as a pesticide. On the day of the incident, Priyanka reportedly called her father to inform him that they had taken poison. An ambulance rushed the family to hospital, but Balmukund was declared dead on arrival, while Priyanka and Bhavya succumbed during treatment.
Surat Police are interrogating Rungta to determine whether other moneylenders or associates were involved in the alleged harassment. Bank accounts and credit card transactions of the victim are being audited as part of the ongoing probe.
