Kolkata, Jun 22 (IANS): A man shot dead his mother-in-law and then killed himself at a high rise apartment in Kolkata's Kankurgachi locality on Monday, the police said.

Police said Amit Agarwal, 42, son in-law of Subhas Dhandhania, 70, came to his in-law's flat at 2B, Rameswaram Building, at Kankurgachi at about 5.30 p.m. and started arguing with them.

The incident took place when Lalita Dhandhania, the mother-in-law, tried to pacify Amit during a heated argument. During the conversation he got agitated and took out a firearm and shot his mother-in-law from a very close range. Later, Amit, who used to work with a private company, also shot himself dead.

Subhas Dhandhania got scared and hurriedly came out of the room and closed the door from outside. He went out of the flat and took shelter at one of his neighbours' houses.

The residents of the apartment informed the local Phoolbagan police station. The police entered the flat and saw Amit lying in a pool of blood on the bed. The firearm was also seen on the floor.

"We have started an investigation into the case," a police official said.

Sources said the relationship between Amit and his wife Shilpi was going through a lot of ups and downs for the past two years and the divorce suit was pending. Shilpi stays with her son in Bangalore.