A probe into the deaths of a Hyderabad couple last week has pointed to severe financial distress, allegedly caused by neighbours who convinced them to invest their savings in a business venture that later collapsed.
Ravikumar and Sirisha, residents of Hayatnagar who hailed from Warangal district, died on July 2 at the Ghatkesar Railway Station. The couple, who lived with their minor children, left behind a trail of financial trouble that investigators say directly preceded their deaths.
According to the Secunderabad Government Railway Police (GRP), the couple had been approached by their neighbours, identified as Venkat and Pramila, with an offer to invest in a ready-mix concrete business. The neighbours reportedly promised a fixed monthly return of Rs 20,000. Trusting the offer, Ravikumar — who worked as a rice trader — pledged his wife’s gold jewellery and handed over Rs 20 lakh.
For the first three months, police say, the arrangement appeared to hold. But Venkat allegedly stopped payments abruptly after that, cutting off the promised income. With the pledged gold now accruing mounting interest, the couple was pushed into deep financial and mental distress, according to the GRP.
Investigators say phone records show Ravikumar spoke with Venkat for nearly half an hour on the day of the incident, shortly before the couple went to the railway station.
Police initially registered the case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which covers unnatural or suspicious deaths. Following the findings of the investigation, the charges were revised to Section 108, which pertains to abetment of suicide.
A manhunt is currently underway for Venkat and Pramila, who police say are absconding. Teams have been formed to trace and arrest the pair.
The case has drawn renewed attention to informal investment schemes that circulate through personal and neighbourhood networks, often built on trust rather than any formal financial safeguards.
