19 Crores in debt, properties on mortgage; Tangra deaths mystery revealed

In the 'Dey Family Suicide Case,' which has been making headlines across the country for the past two weeks, the police have identified the reason behind the family's decision to plan a mass suicide. Based on statements from the surviving members of the Dey family and their investigation, the police have determined that financial distress was the main factor that led the family to take this step.

The investigation revealed that the Dey brothers had taken loans amounting to ₹15 crore from six different banks and financial institutions. In addition, they had borrowed ₹4 crore from private lenders. Their house in Tangra and their factory had been mortgaged. They were also trying to sell a property they owned in Bolpur. To raise ₹19 lakh, they had pledged all the jewelry in the house. These valuables were pawned to pay their workers' salaries. Another property they owned was also mortgaged.

The police discovered that the Dey brothers had surrendered their trade license from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation last year and had shut down their silk export business in Bolpur. The financial crisis had begun for the Dey family quite some time ago, but it worsened significantly from December 2023. A decline in exports across Europe and the withdrawal of some of their old vendors and partners led to this situation. However, despite continuous losses, the Dey family had not reduced their expenses.

Pranoy Dey lived with his wife, Sudeshna and son, Prateep Dey in Atal Sur Lane, Tangra. His younger brother Prasun Kumar Dey also lived in the same house with his wife, Romi and daughter, Priyamvada. Due to their financial difficulties, Pranoy Dey first proposed the idea of a mass family suicide on February 10. He shared this plan with his younger brother Prasun, and both brothers later informed their wives.

On the evening of February 17, they mixed blood pressure and sleeping pills into a kheer (a sweet dish). The next day, due to an overdose, Prasun’s daughter Priyamvada passed away, but the rest of the family survived. On February 18, all four adults decided to take their own lives by slitting their wrists. However, the women of the house could not do it themselves, so Prasun Dey first slit the wrists of his wife Romi and later of his sister-in-law Sudeshna. He then moved toward his nephew Prateep to kill him, but his elder brother Pranoy changed the plan and suggested committing suicide by staging a car accident instead. That night, the three of them left in a car and attempted to crash it on the EM Bypass. However, all three survived the accident. Currently, they are undergoing treatment.