Pune family of three dies in suspected suicide linked to debt

Three members of a Malayali family – Vinod Pillai (50), his wife Sirja Pillai (45) and their 19‑year‑old daughter Purnima Pillai – were found dead in their rented home in the Pimpri area of Pune, Maharashtra. Police say the deaths appear to be a suicide, with the victims having inhaled a poisonous chemical, believed to be sodium nitrate, after drinking a toxic solution. A suicide note recovered from the house and a second note on Vinod's mobile phone cited severe financial distress and a desire to avoid burdening others.

Investigators noted that Vinod had lost his job at an engineering firm and remained unemployed for over a year, while the family had sold their house in Nehru Nagar three years earlier to repay debts. Sirja worked as a school coordinator and Purnima was a second‑year computer‑science student. Police have seized the chemical container and the victims' mobile phones and are awaiting forensic analysis. A case has been registered at Sant Tukaram Nagar police station, and the probe continues.