Suicide Pact Gone Wrong Leaves Daughter Dead, Parents Survive Poisoning

A 7-year-old girl in the Indian state of Maharashtra died last week due to her parents’ botched suicide pact, police said.

Staff at Seasons Hotel & Banquets in Mumbai found the child's body Monday after they heard her mother, identified only as Poonam, scream for help from her room, the Hindustan Times reported.

Ryan Bracko, Poonam's 39-year-old husband, had already absconded at the time, but he was found drunk in a Mira Road lodge later that day with the help of surveillance footage.

Before the discovery of their daughter’s body, both Bracko and Poonam had entered a suicide pact due to financial issues, police said.

Bracko previously worked as a production manager at one of Mumbai's leading production houses, while Poonam was a pre-primary school teacher.

The two had sold their flat in Vasai for around Rs 30 lakh ($38,690) in an attempt to pay off a debt, but they were still not in the clear.

"They were still left with Rs 4 lakh ($5,160) after paying off their debt. They had also taken a house on rent but were asked to leave due to non-payment of rent. Since then, they have been staying at wayside hotels and inns," assistant police inspector Sudarshan Potdar of Kashimira police station said.

Bracko sold his phones last Friday and checked in at Seasons Hotel & Banquets, where he and Poonam consumed rat poison to end their lives. They also fed their daughter the same substance.

Bracko experienced loose motion while Poonam vomited, but the two ended up surviving the suicide attempt. However, their child died as a result of being given poison, and her body stayed in their hotel room for three days before she was found.

Authorities have filed a first information report under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, and they planned to arrest Bracko Tuesday night, according to Potdar. He would be presented before a court in Thane the next day.

Meanwhile, Poonam is currently in a semi-conscious state at a civic hospital. She will be arrested once she gets discharged.

Authorities are still waiting for the post-mortem report of the couple's daughter.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.