A tragic incident unfolded in Sandhavaya village of Gondal taluka in Rajkot district on Friday, where a 37-year-old cement factory owner, Jaypal Togadia, allegedly strangled his two minor children before taking his own life. The event occurred at the Gayatri Cement factory on Ghoghavadar Road in Gondal.
Details of the Incident
According to police, Togadia first killed his 15-year-old son, then his 10-year-old daughter, and subsequently hanged himself at the factory premises. The son was a Class 10 student who had recently scored 70% in his examinations, while the daughter attended a private school in Ramod. Togadia, who had been in the cement business for 15 years, brought both children to the factory on the morning of the incident.
Response and Investigation
Upon receiving information, a Gondal City Division police team along with emergency service personnel rushed to the scene. All three bodies have been sent for postmortem examinations, and an investigation has been initiated. Police Inspector J R Zala of Gondal City Division police station confirmed that at around 1:21 pm, Togadia sent a video to a relative, stating that his business was failing, which drove him to take such a drastic step. He explicitly mentioned that his family was not to blame and that he had no debts.
Financial Distress as Motive
Preliminary inquiries suggest that Togadia had taken his daughter to the factory in the morning and later called his son to join them. At the time of the incident, only Togadia and the children were present. Togadia's wife was at their home. Togadia operated the cement factory and had recently acquired a second one. However, due to a recession in his business, he was facing financial distress. His elderly father, wife, and the two deceased children lived with him.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the matter.
