A 37-year-old factory owner in Gujarat’s Rajkot district allegedly killed his two minor children before dying by suicide at his workplace in Gondal, police said, in an incident that has left the local community in shock.
The deceased, identified as Jaipal Togadia, a carpenter by profession and a resident of Sandhwaya village in Kotda Sangani taluka, was running a cement unit named Gayatri Cement on Ghoghavadar Road. According to police, he strangled his 15-year-old son Mishra and 10-year-old daughter Reeva at the factory on Friday, before taking his own life by hanging.
Investigators said Togadia had recorded and sent a video message to his brother-in-law shortly before the incident. In the video, he spoke about business losses. “I am taking the extreme step due to financial distress and my family should not be held responsible,” he said in the video. Police added that he also mentioned he was not under any debt.
Preliminary findings suggest that Togadia had taken his daughter to the factory earlier in the day and later called his son there. At the time of the incident, only the three of them were present at the premises. His wife was at home and was unaware of the events unfolding at the factory.
Police Inspector J.R. Jhala of Gondal City Divisional Police Station said a police team, along with emergency services, rushed to the spot after receiving information. The bodies were recovered and sent for post-mortem examination, and further investigation is underway.
Togadia had reportedly been involved in the cement business for around 15 years and owned more than one factory unit. He lived with his elderly father, wife, and two children.
The incident has cast a pall of gloom over Sandhwaya village and surrounding areas. Locals described the family as well-known in the region and expressed disbelief over the tragedy.
Police are continuing to examine the circumstances leading up to the incident, including the contents of the video message and the financial situation of the deceased, to establish the exact sequence of events.
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