British Newlyweds Found Dead In An Upscale Indian Hotel Due To Drug Overdose, Parents Suspect Suicide Pact

A newly married British couple, who were on their exotic honeymoon in India, was found dead in their hotel room. The husband-wife duo was snuggled close to each other and was surrounded with multiple types of drugs on their twin bed. While preliminary investigation indicates death due to drug overdose, close relatives back home suspect a bizarre suicide pact.

Surrounded by sleeping pills, anti-depressants and empty bottles of cough syrup, were the bodies of two British newly-weds found dead in an Indian hotel, reported The Daily Mail. Astonishingly, the dead have been identified as James and Alex Gaskell – both teachers with first-class degrees back home. Both taught at Manchester International College.

The otherwise tranquil scene only becomes morbid when it was learnt the couple overdosed on multiple types of drugs which can only be bought if a medical practitioner of strong repute prescribes them in Britain. However, these addictive drugs are quite easily available without any prescription, just by sliding a few bucks to the pharmacist, claimed the duo two days before their death.

Mr. Gaskell, 27, had posted a series of messages on Twitter outlining his casual attitude to drugs. His final tweet on Sunday, two days before their bodies were found, said how easy they were to obtain in India. Some of his tweets were as follows:

Just before his death, one of his last tweets read,

“I am absolutely off my face on drugs.”

India is an infamous destination for foreign tourists who come looking for powerful prescription-only drugs. What they simply can’t get back home is easily available, often as an Over The Counter (OTC) medicine with hardly any questions asked.

The couple, who married last November, was found dead in the Hotel Maya in Agra, reported The Telegraph. As well as strips of colored capsules, police discovered a prescription for the powerful anti-anxiety drug diazepam. Mr. Gaskell was found lying on his side while his wife was slumped in a crouched position. There was evidence in the room that one or both of them had been sick.

While the local police are treating it as a case of suicide due to drug addiction, the couple’s parents suspect they took their lives after witnessing the hunger and poverty of the country. It is hoped that further investigation will shed more light on the case.

[Image Credit | Cover Asia Press]