Mounting debts led three of a family to attempt suicide in their house on Srinivasan Street in Perambur on Friday.
However, they were saved in the nick of time by relatives and neighbours.
According to the police, Gloriya (54) and her children, Dominic (29) and Nancy (22), decided to end their lives unable to bear harassment from a real-estate agent, who Gloriya had borrowed money from.
Last year, Gloriya, wife of Don John Bosco (60), who works as a night watchman at St. John’s International School near Poonamallee, borrowed Rs. 5 lakh from K. Savaranan, a real estate agent in Kolathur, to meet the family’s medical expenses.
Saravanan lent the money at a monthly interest rate of 10 per cent. Gloriya was confident she could repay the amount as her son Dominic works in a software firm in the city and daughter Nancy works for a private shipping cargo company.
But over the months, the family found it increasingly difficult to pay the high interest amount and the dues went up to Rs. 21 lakh.
Unable to bear Saravanan’s harassment over non-payment of dues, Gloriya and her children decided to end their lives.
Initially, they consumed pills past the expiry date but when that failed to produce an effect, the three cut their veins, around 1 a.m. on Friday. Don John Bosco was at work at the time.
After taking the extreme step, Nancy was unable to bear the pain and contacted her uncle, William, over phone.
He rushed to the house and with the help of some neighbours, rushed the trio to Government Stanley Hospital.
They are now out of danger. A case was registered by the Sembium police.
