Sisters battling depression end life over pet dog’s illness in Lucknow

Lucknow: Two sisters battling depression and distressed over their pet dog’s illness have allegedly died by suicide after consuming phenyl at their home here, police said on Friday.

The incident occurred in the Doda Kheda-Jalalpur area in the state capital. The deceased have been identified as Radha Singh (26) and her younger sister Jiya Singh (22), they said.

According to the police, information was received from a local private hospital around 2.30 pm on Wednesday that two sisters had been admitted after allegedly consuming phenyl. Radha Singh died during treatment, while Jiya Singh was later referred to King George’s Medical University in central Lucknow, where she also succumbed.

A police officer told PTI that a preliminary inquiry based on statements from family members revealed that both sisters were suffering from depression.

One of them had tuberculosis, which had aggravated her mental health condition, while the other had been battling depression since 2014. Their parents, Gulab Devi and Kailash Singh, are also reportedly unwell. The family includes a brother, Veer Singh, who works as a small-time contractor.

The police said that the sisters had recently adopted a pet dog and had grown deeply attached to it, caring for it together and “often mirroring each other’s actions”. The dog had been ill for nearly a month, which left both women “increasingly distressed and withdrawn”.

Family members told investigators that since the dog fell sick, the sisters appeared more depressed, though it is not yet clear whether issues related to its treatment directly led to the incident, the police said.

Investigators found that neither of the sisters used mobile phones or social media and largely stayed indoors. One of them was known to have frequent anger outbursts and would sometimes damage household items, they said.

No one witnessed the sisters consuming phenyl, and there is no audio or video evidence related to the incident. Their mother informed neighbours and relatives after discovering their condition, they added.

Para Station House Officer Suresh Singh told PTI, “The viscera samples of both women have been preserved and sent to a forensic laboratory to confirm the cause of death and detect any poisonous substances.”

“Further action will be taken after the forensic reports,” he said.

The cremation of the bodies took place on Thursday, the police added.