NEW DELHI: An eerie silence enveloped the two-room apartment on the third floor of a Kalkaji residential building, hiding a story of deep isolation and increasing financial hardship. A 52-year-old woman and her two adult sons were found dead in the locked house. Neighbors and relatives said the end followed months of withdrawal and an earlier attempt by the brothers to harm themselves.The deceased are housewife Anuradha Kapoor (52) and her two sons Ashish Kapoor (32), who was studying engineering at a private college in Noida, and Chaitanya Kapoor (27), who was probably preparing for civil services.
Stressed over loans and unpaid rent, family plunges into darkness
Kalkaji police station received a call at 2.47 pm on Friday. “The incident came to light when a bailiff accompanied by local police attended the house to execute a court possession order. “After repeated knocks went unanswered, entry was gained using a duplicate key and all three were found dead,” a senior official said. While Anuradha and Ashish were found in one room, Chaitanya was in another room. A note found at the scene shows that they suffered from depression and took their own lives, the police said. According to family members, Anuradha’s husband Sanjeev Kapoor, who had a construction business, died a few years ago due to Covid-related complications and diabetes. Sanjay, a relative, said the family had been estranged from their relatives for almost 15 years. “They did not maintain communication. Even when Sanjeev died, we came to know about it much later. We didn’t even know what they looked like now,” he said. Police said the family had a history of self-harm and both sons attempted suicide on October 30. Several neighbors told TOI that the brothers tried to commit suicide about two months ago, following which an ambulance and police personnel came to the house. The family rarely goes out even to buy groceries, they added.Furthermore, the family had allegedly not paid rent for the last two years, following which the eviction order was issued. “The monthly rent was around Rs 34,000 and the landlord lives in Mumbai. They started living in the house around two years ago and paid rent only for the first month. The landlord then moved the court,” a police source said. Investigators said the family was in debt because both sons were unemployed. “They had taken several small loans of between Rs 10,000 and Rs 30,000 from 50 to 55 people. The total amount is Rs 10 to 15 lakh,” the source added.Police said the last conversations the family had with anyone were through messages on their phones. “The sons had just been communicating with people, asking them to charge their phones, asking them for money or asking if there was a job for them. They had no more than 10 to 15 contacts saved on their phones,” the source said.
