5 booked for abetment to suicide

Lucknow: An FIR was registered against five persons, including a woman and her father and brother, on Friday on charges of abetment to suicide, extortion, and criminal intimidation after a 19-year-old BTech student was found dead at his home in Barabanki.

Tushar Verma allgedy died by suicide on July 16.

Police said the FIR was lodged on the complaint by Tushar's mother Sushma, who alleged that the accused had been harassing her son for the past three months and demanding Rs 30 lakh under threats of implicating him in false cases.

According to the complaint, the family had paid around Rs 5 lakh in instalments out of fear, but the accused demanded more money or else threatened to kill the entire family and bury them in their home.

Tushar had recorded a 34-second video before his death, naming the accused and alleging persistent harassment and blackmail. The clip has been submitted to the police as evidence. The FIR states the victim "was under severe mental pressure, humiliation, and fear," which allegedly drove him to take his life.

SHO, Kotwali Nagar, Ram Kishan said the accused claimed that Tushar had allegedly tried to force a relationship with the woman and, when confronted, began avoiding her family. "We are investigating allegations of both sides," the SHO added.