‘Defrauded’ by husband: Gujarat entrepreneur loses ₹5 crore, tries to die by suicide

A woman from Gujarat, identified as Niral Modi, tried to die by suicide inside a police station. The incident took place on January 18 in Bhadrak district, Odisha.

She alleged that the police had not taken adequate action against her husband, who allegedly fled with her money. Niral consumed phenyl at the Bonth police station and was immediately taken to Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital. She is currently receiving treatment.

Niral is an entrepreneur who runs an IT firm in Ahmedabad. She married Manoj Nayak from Narsinghpur village in Odisha after they met at her company. The couple has a two-year-old son.

Following their marriage, Manoj reportedly convinced Niral to invest in a business in his hometown. To fund the venture, she mortgaged her house and business assets.

Modi secured loans amounting to nearly ₹5 crore. However, Manoj allegedly disappeared with the money, leaving Niral and their child behind.

Niral had filed a missing person’s complaint against her husband, but she claimed that no significant progress had been made. Her brother revealed that she had been struggling for three months.

“In her desperation, she consumed phenyl to draw attention to her plight. We demand justice and immediate action against Manoj, who defrauded her," NDTV quoted the brother as saying.

According to Inspector-in-charge Sriballav Sahoo, a dedicated police team was actively searching for Manoj Nayak. The team, consisting of an inspector and two sub-inspectors, visited several locations across Odisha, including Rourkela, Sambalpur and Berhampur. However, Manoj has not been located yet.

Toxic elements in phenyl

Household floor cleaners are often used for suicide attempts due to their easy availability. They are classified into white phenyl and black phenyl. White phenyl, mainly made of pine oil, has low toxicity. It causes mild irritation and respiratory discomfort.

On the other hand, phenol, found in black phenyl, is highly toxic. A fatal dose as low as 50 mg may lead to severe health issues, as per Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW).