Unable to afford daughter's insulin, indebted businessman shoots self Live
What's the story
A 36-year-old real estate businessman in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, shot himself with a 12-bore gun belonging to his office's security guard. The incident took place inside his office after he livestreamed a desperate appeal on Facebook seeking help for his family. In the video, Shahbaz broke down over his inability to buy insulin for his diabetic daughter and appealed to celebrities and industrialists for support.
Debt burden
In video, man appeals for help
According to Gudamba police station inspector Prabhatesh Srivastava, Shahbaz was under severe financial stress, with debts running into ₹15 crore. He also accused a business partner of harassing him. The police said he had been under mental distress due to these issues. After seeing the video, family members informed the police, but by the time they arrived, Shahbaz had already taken his life.
Ongoing probe
Case registered, investigation underway
The body has been sent for postmortem, and a forensic team is investigating the scene. Police are also looking into documents related to Shahbaz's financial dealings, particularly the loans he mentioned in his video appeal. Last month, a cloth businessman in the Talkatora area also died by suicide along with his wife and minor daughter, allegedly due to debt. The minor daughter informed her uncle about the incident, but by the time he reached there, their condition had deteriorated.
Helpline
Please seek help if you're having suicidal thoughts
If you or anyone you know is suffering from suicidal thoughts, you can reach out to AASRA for suicide prevention counseling. Its number is 022-27546669 (24 hours). You can also dial Roshni NGO at +914066202000 or COOJ at +91-83222-52525. Sneha India Foundation, which works 24x7, can be contacted at +91-44246-40050, while Vandrevala Foundation's helpline number is +91-99996-66555 (call and WhatsApp).