Delhi man, kids die by suicide over financial issues: ‘Would've helped if we knew,' say family and friends

Indian Express

13-05-2025

Hardeep Singh (39) and his wife, Harpreet Kaur (38), decided to take their lives after what, police said, was a long financial struggle. They decided that their 16-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter would come along with them and follow through with their decision.
On Sunday, the family would make their way to a local gurdwara near their factory in Northwest Delhi's Sangam Park and stay for the night.
On Monday morning, they went to the factory where Hardeep ran a horn manufacturing unit. There, they would set down four glasses, pour in some water, add a bright orange powder to it, and drink it.
Things were supposed to end there — until the couple's son called his paternal aunt in excruciating pain. According to the family's friends and the police, he told her that the family had ingested poison in an alleged attempt to die by suicide.
The aunt would inform the police, who would rush to the spot to take the family to nearby hospitals.
'By the time the police arrived, the boy rushed out of the factory in a panic, shouting out everyone in his family had consumed poison,' said Bharat Bhushan (64), who runs a fog lamp factory right next to Hardeep's car horn unit.
'I'm grateful that the boy unlocked the door from the inside and came out. Otherwise, who knows how or when the police would have managed to find them,' added Bhushan.
Hardeep and his children were taken to Hindu Rao Hospital, whereas Harpreet was rushed to Deep Chand Bandhu Hospital. Over the course of the day, the children would pass away before Hardeep's demise late on Monday night. Harpreet is still battling for her life, informed family members.
The alleged suicides came out of the blue for everyone who knew the couple. While the police cited financial distress behind their extreme step, friends and family alike were puzzled.
'Businesses are bad everywhere right now, but not bad enough to take such a step,' said Hemant (44), a friend of the family, adding that had he known of Hardeep's troubles, he would have tried to help him.
'He belonged to the Sikh community, which is so tightly knit. If he had told us about his troubles, I'm sure several people would have been ready to help him — financially and in other ways,' he said.
Hardeep's father, Ujagar Singh, couldn't come to terms with his son's decision. 'Business has its ups and downs, sometimes you make profits, sometimes losses. By the grace of God, my son was financially fine. Whenever he needed money for his business, he'd ask me and I'd give it with no hesitation. If he was in trouble, there was no need to do this; he could have found other work,' said the grieving father.
Ujagar added that his son previously had a business with a partner exporting spare motor parts, but decided to go his own way and open a manufacturing unit.
Friends said the family showed no signs of financial ailments.
They earlier lived in Model Town's Mahendru Enclave but shifted to a house bought long ago in Chander Vihar in April. Their children went to reputed private schools and the family, from the outside, seemed to have no troubles paying the fees.
Hardeep was also seen as a person with no enemies or ill-wishers. 'He was always positive, always smiling,' said Bhushan, his factory neighbour.
Ravi, another family friend, called him 'seedha (straitlaced)'. None of the people he spoke to in the last few days said he showed any indication of stress or depression. According to the police, no suicide note was found at the scene. They are waiting for the wife to regain consciousness to get a full understanding of the circumstances.