An elderly woman killed herself while her husband tried to end his life by hanging himself, apparently unable to bear the stress of financial losses they had incurred after their only son lost the family's savings in share trading.
The son — who works as an accountant in a small private company and brings home a salary of Rs 8,000 — is said to have told police that the money he earned was inadequate to sustain the family and hence he was lured into investing in shares.
Thousands of people invest their hard-earned money in shares without realising the risks involved. Many feel investing in shares is a way to multiply their money in a short period of time, compared with keeping their money in banks or post offices, especially after interest rates on small deposits have been slashed.
“We always tell our clients to read all the terms and conditions before investing and be informed about the market risks involved. We never commit anything. We just show them a projection of possible returns,” said a stockbroker who runs a finance management office in central Kolkata.
Many, like the elderly couple’s son, apparently invest all they have in shares hoping the money they would earn would help them live a better life. They fail to understand, the stock broker said, that the result of the investments could be the exact opposite of what they are expecting.
The 61-year-old woman ended her life at the family’s home on the southern fringes of the city on Sunday evening. The woman was found unconscious in her room with froth coming out of her mouth.
“An empty bottle of acid was found near her,” an officer said.
“Seeing her condition, her 65-year-old husband tried to hang himself from the ceiling fan. But within seconds of his attempt, the couple’s son returned home and found his mother unconscious and father hanging,” said the officer.
The son brought down his father.
The couple were taken to Vidyasagar State General Hospital where the woman was declared dead. Her husband has been hospitalised, the police said.
