Retired Army veteran dies by suicide outside accused's house over Rs 5-crore fraud in Haryana

HISAR: A 63-year-old retired Army veteran allegedly consumed poison and died outside the residence of a woman he accused of cheating him of nearly Rs 5 crore in a property deal.

The deceased, identified as Sunder Panghal, a resident of Hisar Cantonment and a native of Bhagana village, was engaged in the property business after retiring from the Army. His body was found on Saturday morning outside a house in Vikas Nagar, Hansi, belonging to one of the persons named in a suicide note recovered from his pocket.

According to his son, advocate Manjeet, Panghal was embroiled in a dispute involving nearly Rs 5 crore, including cash transactions and money transferred through bank accounts. He alleged that despite repeated demands, the money was never returned and that documents executed in lieu of repayment later turned out to be worthless.

Family members claimed that the retired soldier had been under severe mental stress for a prolonged period and had repeatedly sought justice. The suicide note reportedly names four persons — Poonam, her father-in-law Hoshiyar Singh, her mother-in-law, and a driver — holding them responsible for his death. The family further alleged that the accused had been threatening Panghal and using their influence to evade accountability.

Additional SHO Balwan Singh of the City Hansi police station said a case had been registered against the four accused under charges related to abetment of suicide. Police said all aspects of the financial transactions and the property dispute were being investigated.