Nine members of a family of jewellers in Gujarat's Rajkot city tried to commit suicide by consuming pesticide because of financial distress, police said on Saturday.

Members of the Adesara family, residents of Gundawadi locality, themselves called for ambulance after the failed attempt on Friday night and were hospitalised, said an official. The condition of all of them was stable, he said.

They took the drastic step after two Mumbai-based businessmen failed to pay them for 3 kg of gold jewellery worth around Rs 1.95 crore, supplied last year, said inspector Mayurdhwaj Sarvaiya of Bhaktinagar police station.

Those who consumed pesticide included an eight-year-old child and a 67-year-old woman, he said.

Family member Ketan Adesara, who jointly owns a jewellery unit with his brother in the city's bullion market, spoke to reporters.

They had been promised payment for the jewellery by the Mumbai-based businessmen by Diwali 2023, but the money was not yet paid, and the family, as a result, was unable to pay their own loan instalments, he said.

A case of cheating will be registered against the businessmen, said inspector Sarvaiya. As to the suicide attempt, a station diary entry was made at the Bhaktinagar police station, he said.

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