Gujarat 'Mass Suicide': Police Rule Out 'Foul Play', Say Man Gave Poison To His Family Before Killing Self

Manish Kanubhai Solanki administered poison to his entire family before taking his own life. The incident came to light yesterday, prompting an immediate police response. Read on to know more.

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Surat Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Tomar said on Sunday that a person identified as Manish Kanubhai Solanki poisoned his entire family before killing himself, in reference to the mass suicide reported from Gujarat's Surat yesterday. "All seven bodies have been taken for postmortem examinations, and a forensic team has been dispatched to the scene as soon as possible." According to Commissioner Tomar, there is currently no evidence of foul play. "Manish's suicide note does not give a clear reason for the family's decision, but we are looking into the family's phone records for more information. In addition, a special investigation team has been formed to look into the case," the official is heard saying in a video posted by news agency ANI. 

The house was found locked from the inside, further supporting the preliminary assessment that the cause of death for the other six family members was poison consumption, the official said. 

#WATCH | Gujarat: On the mass suicide, Surat Police Commissioner Ajay Kumar Tomar says, "A person Manish Kanubhai Solanki gave poison to his whole family, and then died by suicide. Yesterday, as we got to know, police immediately reached the house. All the bodies are taken for a… pic.twitter.com/0JJCLl0QZT

— ANI (@ANI) October 29, 2023

Earlier on Saturday, the family was found in their apartment situated in the Adajan locality, according to reports from local authorities. A note discovered at the scene indicated that financial distress might have been a contributing factor in their extreme decision.

Manish Solanki, a 37-year-old contractor who was discovered hanging, his wife, parents and their three children aged six, ten and thirteen were discovered dead at their home, according to a PTI report. 

Manish Solanki, his wife Rita, his father Kanu, his mother Shobha, and three children - Disha, Kavya, and Kushal - have all died, according to a Times Of India report.

"We are working diligently to establish the precise cause of their deaths," said DCP (Zone-5) R P Barot, according to PTI. 

According to the official, while Manish Solanki was discovered hanging, the six other family members appeared to have died after ingesting a toxic substance.

According to the note found in the house, the family took this drastic step due to severe financial strain caused by their inability to recover a debt owed to them. According to the report, a bottle suspected of containing the poisonous substance was also discovered.

Surat Mayor Niranjan Zanzmera noted, "It seems that Solanki administered the poison to his family members before taking his own life. The bodies are being sent for post-mortem examination," PTI had reported earlier.