As authorities in the U.S. investigate the murder of an Indian-origin businessman, new details are emerging about his strained relations with members of his family and feud among them over his estate.
Urooj Khan (46), died of cyanide poisoning under mysterious circumstances last July, just a day after he had received a cheque of $425,000 as his prize money after taxes for a million dollar lottery he had won a month ago.
Initially, Khan’s death was believed to be due to natural causes but at the request of a relative, the cause of his death was re-examined. New screening results showed that a lethal amount of cyanide was present in Khan’s system.
A Chicago judge has allowed exhumation of Khan’s body to get more forensic samples that would help investigators narrow down on the possible cause and motive of his death.
New details are also simultaneously emerging about strained relations among his family members, who include his wife Shabana Ansari, his sister Meraj Khan, brother-in-law Mohammed Zaman, teenage daughter and a father-in-law who owed tens of thousands of dollars in taxes.
Khan’s nephew Minhaj Khan told ABC News the family had a feeling something was not right when his uncle died mysteriously. “He was a healthy guy,” the nephew said.
