'Corporate Ministry official Bansal believed life must go on'

The residents of Neelkanth Apartments in east Delhi have clearly been left shell-shocked by four suicides in the family of Corporate Affairs Ministry official B.K. Bansal within a span of less than three months.

They maintained that Bansal and his 31-year-old son Yogesh, who ended their lives on Monday night, hardly threw any hint of desperation following the CBI case against the former.

Area resident Raghuveer Singh, who also looks after the Group Housing Society's accounts, said: "Bansal met me only a few days back and said life must go on."

Bansal's wife Satyabala, 57, and 28-year-old daughter Neha had also hanged themselves in similar fashion in July after Central Bureau of Investigation raids at the residence after Bansal was booked on corruption charge.

A pall of gloom hung thick over the housing society and there was not much movement on the first floor of the building where the Bansals resided.

"We feel a tragic loss of the ill-fated family. In little over two months, the entire family (of four) is finished. Nothing in this life seems predictable," said a teary eyed neighbour on the condition of anonymity.

Singh said the senior government official had visited the society's maintenance office to clear his pending electricity bill.

"Bansal came to our office a few days back to clear the pending electricity bill of over Rs 5,000. He insisted on paying cash though we do not accept cash of more than Rs 4,000. He, however, expressed helplessness as his bank accounts were seized by the Central Bureau of Investigation," Singh told IANS.

Singh said the Bansals were supportive of the society's working and had even given Rs 30,000 to install closed-circuit television in Neelkanth Apartments a few years ago.

"He was always ready to help us financially during crises or whenever the society organised functions on Diwali, Holi and Janmashtami," he recalled.

Another resident Vishnu, living in a flat adjoining the Bansal's apartment on the first floor, said: "Bansal and his son used to came during late night hours for the last couple of days. They interacted less but nevertheless asked me about my family."

--IANS

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