In a heart-wrenching twist to the joyous festival of Karva Chauth, an elderly couple from Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr tragically ended their lives by consuming poison on the banks of the sacred Ganga River.
The incident, unfolding on Friday amid celebrations of marital bliss, has left their family and villagers in profound shock, prompting a police probe into the motives behind this desperate act.
Seventy-two-year-old Pooran Singh and his wife, Chameli Devi, residents of Mohammadpur Badhera village under Atrauli police station, had journeyed to Ram Ghat for a ritual dip in the holy waters. What began as a customary outing turned fatal when Pooran first fed poison to Chameli before ingesting it himself.
Eyewitnesses reported the duo collapsing soon after, drawing frantic crowds. Rushed to Aligarh Medical College in critical condition, Pooran was declared dead on arrival, while Chameli succumbed shortly thereafter.
Family members, including their son Ashok, who lives in Ghaziabad, revealed a history of domestic discord. The couple shared their home with daughter-in-law Rajkumari and grandchildren, but tensions simmered over Pooran’s tuberculosis. “Sasur ji ignored all advice on diet; he’d eat whatever he pleased despite the illness, sparking constant arguments with my mother-in-law,” Rajkumari recounted tearfully.
A fresh quarrel on Karva Chauth morning, they said, may have tipped the scales.
Police have sent the bodies for postmortem and are investigating under relevant sections, ruling out foul play for now. “The couple carried the poison deliberately; we’re exploring if financial woes or health despair played a role,” said a senior officer.
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