(MENAFN- IANS) Kolkata, Aug 8 (IANS) Two female members of the same family in Kolkata committed suicide after consuming an overdose of sleeping pills, and a third member, who also tried to kill himself, is in hospital with the condition being extremely critical.

Initial investigation revealed that the family was reeling under a massive debt burden, prompting the three to take the extreme step, said officials.

The two deceased women have been identified as Mahua De (42) and her mother, Shipra Rakshit (70). Mahua's husband, Sanjay De (55), is currently under treatment at a state-run medical college and hospital in Kolkata.

The bodies of the deceased women have been sent for post-mortem purposes. The exact reason for the death could be ascertained only after the post-mortem report is available, said a Kolkata Police official.

It is learnt that some creditors from whom Sanjay borrowed money came to his residence in the Rajarhat-Narayanpur area in the northern outskirts of Kolkata at intervals since Thursday evening. However, they kept on banging the doors every time they came, but evoked no response.

Later, the neighbours also became inquisitive and knocked on the doors, which did not evoke any response. Finally, at around midnight, the local police station was informed by the neighbours. The cops came, broke open the door, and found the three.

All of them were rushed to the state-run hospital in north Kolkata, where the two women were declared dead. Sanjay De, currently under treatment at the same hospital, is in critical condition.

It is learnt that Sanjay De was once the owner of huge property and assets that he had ancestrally inherited. He and his family members were solely dependent on the income from the property.

However, later, Sanjay sold the property that he inherited, including the ancestral house where he had stayed earlier with the two deceased women. Thereafter, he shifted to the rented accommodation at Rajarhat-Narayanpur, from where the bodies were recovered. In the meantime, Sanjay De had accumulated huge debts and was often pressured by creditors to repay the loans.

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