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Crime
Couple in Jirakpur commits suicide after losing ₹36 lakh to travel agent fraud
✍️ Amar Ujala · Mohali
🗓 22 Aug 2026, 02:02 PM
👁 4
A husband and wife in Jirakpur took their own lives after a travel agent, who was a former classmate, duped them of 36 lakh rupees promised for an overseas trip.
Jirakpur, a town in Punjab's Mohali district, witnessed a tragic suicide on which local authorities say a married couple ingested salfas after being overwhelmed by a financial scam. The couple, whose names have not been released, were reportedly planning to travel abroad when they approached a travel agent they knew from school.
According to police statements, the agent collected a total of 36 lakh rupees from the pair, promising to arrange visas and tickets. Instead of delivering the promised services, the agent vanished with the money, leaving the couple in severe distress.
Investigators have opened a criminal case against the alleged fraudster, describing the incident as a classic case of financial exploitation leading to a fatal outcome. The suicide method, ingestion of salfas, was confirmed by the post‑mortem report. The case underscores growing concerns over travel‑related scams and the mental health impact of such frauds in rural India.
According to police statements, the agent collected a total of 36 lakh rupees from the pair, promising to arrange visas and tickets. Instead of delivering the promised services, the agent vanished with the money, leaving the couple in severe distress.
Investigators have opened a criminal case against the alleged fraudster, describing the incident as a classic case of financial exploitation leading to a fatal outcome. The suicide method, ingestion of salfas, was confirmed by the post‑mortem report. The case underscores growing concerns over travel‑related scams and the mental health impact of such frauds in rural India.