Mystery surrounds deaths of Ayurveda hospital owner, son, daughter

VADODARA: Aarti Soni, 47, had spoken about expanding her family’s Ayurveda hospital just five days before she was found dead with her son and daughter at their residence in Ahmedabad’s old city on Wednesday afternoon. She had also booked a flat a few weeks ago, according to a family friend. “I have no idea why the family took such a step,” said Ketan Shah, a jeweller and business partner who had known Aarti’s husband, Chetan, who died of a heart attack last year. Aarti, her son Nilkanth (27) and daughter Jainy (22) were found hanging from a ceiling fan in the hall of their two-storey house in Narsinhji ni Pol in a suspected case of suicide. What drove the trio to take the extreme step was not immediately known, he said, adding no suicide note was found. According to preliminary findings, Aarti Soni's husband died of a heart attack around a year ago, the official said Domestic worker, family friend discover bodies The incident came to light around 4.30pm when a domestic worker arrived at the house and received no response after knocking on the door. She contacted Ketan, who rushed to the spot. After repeated knocks and calls went unanswered, they used a spare key to enter the house. “I saw Aarti, Nilkanth and Jainy hanging from the ceiling fan in the hall. I immediately rushed out to inform others and the police,” Ketan told TOI. Police suspect deaths occurred days earlier Senior police officials reached the house after being alerted to the incident. A senior police officer said a foul smell was emanating from the house, suggesting that the deaths might have occurred a couple of days earlier. The exact time and circumstances of the deaths will be established through the postmortem examination, the officer said. No information has emerged so far suggesting that the family was facing financial or other difficulties. Investigators will question relatives and family friends as part of the probe. Family ran Ayurveda hospital, manufacturing unit After Chetan’s death last year, Aarti and her children had been managing the family’s Ayurveda hospital on Old Padra Road. Ketan, who was Chetan’s friend, had invested in the hospital and was also a business partner. The family also held a licence to manufacture Ayurvedic remedies and operated a manufacturing unit in Jarod, near the Halol highway. Jainy was studying Ayurveda.