THE THREE-STOREY house of the Dey family on Atul Sur Road has been drawing several onlookers, curious to get a glimpse inside. A prominently displayed nameplate that says ‘PK Dey’, accompanied by two smaller nameplates — saying ‘Ma-Babar Ashirwad’ (parent’s blessing) and ‘Chita Nibas’ (consciousness/spirit home) — can be seen at the house.The house in Kolkata’s Tangra neighbourhood, a glove-making factory, properties, cars and round-the-clock watchmen were all symbols of their prosperity. Local residents saw them as a family blessed with good fortune.PK Dey, the father, who had set up the business, was known as ‘chotu da’ in the locality and had provided employment to many in the area when the family business was at its peak. The family was among the highest contributors towards the Durga Puja/Kali puja celebrations of the locality.The recent deaths of the three women members of the Dey family, whose bodies were recovered from a house in the Tangra neighbourhood of east Kolkata on Wednesday, sent shockwaves across the city.On February 19, a car with three men – Pranay Dey, his younger brother Prasun Dey, and Pranay’s minor son – crashed into a pillar near Abhishikta More on Kolkata’s EM Bypass.During questioning later, Pranay allegedly made a startling admission: that they had intentionally crashed the car in a “suicide attempt” and that his family members – his wife and teenagedaughter and his sister-in-law – had already died by suicide.A police team that was dispatched to their house found the bodies of two women – Pranay’s wife Sudeshna Dey and Prasun’s wife Romi Dey – and Prasun’s minor daughter, all in separate rooms in a flat on the first floor.Story continues below this adThe Dey family, known for their upscale lifestyle and apparent vast wealth, was in reality drowning in debt, said police, adding that their house and the car had, in fact, been mortgaged.The Dey family’s once-thriving business, which employed 200-300 workers, had dwindled to a mere 30-40 employees. The factory located nearby has been shut since the incident. Lately, they could not even pay the rent of the factory, sources said.The police investigation revealed that the Dey family had accumulated crores of rupees in debt, taking loans from seven banks and private lending agencies. “They managed loans from multiple sources by showing a higher turnover than the actual numbers,” said a police officer. “A drastic reduction in staff painted a clear picture of their sliding fortune, ultimately leading to their inability to even pay the rent for their factory,” said a police officer.Kailash Das, the family’s driver, said that he was unexpectedly told not to report for duty on Tuesday and that he would be notified when his services were needed again. Das said that he was paid his salary on the 5th of every month, and based on this, he never suspected that the family was facing financial difficulties.Story continues below this ad“The Dey family meeting such a tragedy… That too because of financial problems is tough to believe,” said Dr C K Chang, who has been running a dental clinic in the adjacent building said.“I never saw them fighting. The ladies of the house would mostly stay indoors. The two brothers would never make any commotion,” Chang said.Hospital sources reveal that Pranay Dey’s minor son sustained severe injuries in the car accident,. The teenager remains unconscious and may undergo another surgery, according to hospital officials. According to sources, there are inconsistencies in the statements of the two brothers.Police believe the deaths occurred on February 18.Initial police investigations had revealed that the family had first unsuccessfully tried to kill themselves on February 17 by lacing their dessert with poison. “However, this attempt failed, as everyone was found conscious the following day. They then changed their plan,” a source told The Indian Express.