Bureaucrat, Son Kill Themselves. Wife, Daughter Did Same In July

New Delhi: Bureaucrat BK Bansal was in jail in July when he was told that his wife and daughter had hanged themselves inside their home in Delhi. In a tragic replay two months later, Mr Bansal and his 28-year-old son allegedly committed suicide the same way.

Their last visitor was a priest who had performed pujas for the family as Mr Bansal, 59, battled a CBI investigation for corruption. "We might go out for 10-15 days," the officer reportedly told him on Monday evening, handing him Rs 2,000. He also told the help to come late to work today.

The help walked in through an unlocked door this morning and found father and son hanging from ropes in the same rooms where the officer's wife and daughter hung themselves.

Suicide notes and copies of them were all over the apartment, say the police. Family photos were attached to every note. They reportedly alleged harassment by the CBI.

Even on Monday, the Bansals spent hours at the CBI office, which had become routine, according to neighbours.
 Mr Bansal was a Director General in the Corporate Affairs ministry when he was arrested on July 17 on charges of accepting Rs 9 lakh as bribe from a Mumbai-based pharmaceutical company that wanted to buy its way out of an investigation. The CBI said it found Rs 60 lakh in cash, 20 property papers and details of 60 bank accounts at the official's home.

Two days after his arrest, his wife Satyabala, 58, and daughter Neha, 27, allegedly hanged themselves using stoles. Yogesh had reportedly been called to the CBI for questioning and was not at home at the time.

Mrs Bansal and her daughter left similar suicide notes in which they wrote that they felt humiliated by the CBI raids. Granted bail for their funerals, Mr Bansal sounded stoic when he told neighbours: "Life must go on." He was released on bail on August 26.

The CBI said in a statement that it was "deeply saddened". A spokesperson added that Mr Bansal's son was "neither an accused nor was he summoned" in the investigation.

Mr Bansal was to retire in October but over the past few weeks, he had reportedly seen more in the CBI than his own office.