Ever since a family of four committed suicide at their Neelkanth Apartments residence in IP Extension of East Delhi, residents living in nearby flats are leading a rather uncomfortable life.
BK Bansal, a former director-general with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, had allegedly committed suicide along with his son on September 27, just two months after his wife and daughter had also committed suicide in the same flat. Ostensibly, the Bansal family decided to end their lives when they could not handle the ignominy of corruption charges. The Central Bureau of Investigation was looking into Bansal's case.
“Whenever I walk past their flat, especially at night, I can't help but imagine what might have happened behind that door, just a few feet away from my very own home," said GL Pahwa, who lives in Flat 4B, right next to the Bansal residence. "It's been two months but it still sends shivers down my spine."
Sunita Kumari, who lives in Flat 1B — the flat diagonal to Bansal’s — said she did not come out of her flat for two weeks after the incident. "The thought of the incident still disturbs me," said Kumari. "We never broach the topic but I can't help but be reminded of the incident every time I look at the flat. Such tragedy is not easily forgotten.”
City Spidey also came to know that Bansal had bought another flat (Flat 3C) in the same complex for his son Yogesh about eight months back. No one from the Bansal family has shown up to claim the two 3 BHK flats, informed a member of the society's managing committee.
A managing committee member of the society, on condition of anonymity, said the only close relative to the Bansal family was a nephew, Sanju. "What is strange is that Sanju also committed suicide a month back in Hisar, his native city," said the source. The Bansals own several grocery shops in Hisar and Delhi, which are run by his brothers.
RK Batra, secretary of Neelkanth's managing committee, said they had not received any offer to buy the flats. “We have 124 flats in the society, of which 15 are vacant. Four of these are located in the same block in which the Bansal's lived," said Batra. "The keys to Bansal's flat are with the police and we are not sure by when we can get them. We will approach his brothers and discuss what should be done about the flats.”
