Raigad Businessman Dies in Varanasi, Wife and Son Found Dead in Hotel

A businessman from Raigad district in Maharashtra died of a sudden illness during a family visit to Varanasi, after which his wife and son were found dead inside their hotel room in the city's Laksa area, police said.

The family had arrived in Varanasi on August 7 for a scheduled four-day trip. During their stay, they had visited several parts of the city, offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, and taken a dip in the Ganga.

The businessman, identified as Vishal Mukherjee, fell seriously ill at the hotel around midnight on August 9. He was rushed to the BHU Trauma Centre, where attending doctors declared him dead. His wife and son performed his last rites at Harishchandra Ghat the following day.

Following the cremation, Mukherjee's wife and son returned to their room at the hotel. When they failed to answer the door or respond for a considerable period, the hotel manager alerted the authorities.

A police team arrived at the scene and entered the room, where both the woman and her son were found dead. Officers recovered a packet of poison from inside the room. Both bodies were subsequently sent for post-mortem examination.

ADCP Gaurav Bangar stated that preliminary findings suggest the mother and son may have died by suicide following the shock of Mukherjee's sudden death. Police noted that the investigation remains ongoing, with other angles and circumstances surrounding the incident being examined while awaiting the final post-mortem findings.