Patna, July 16 - Nearly 45 days after an Australian tourist Osborne Michael David was found dead in a guest house here, the police said that he had not been murdered or suffered a drug overdose as suspected, but had killed himself due to penury.

'An Australian tourist whose body was found in a guest house committed suicide by consuming rat poison. He was driven to suicide by penury,' a police officer said.

Superintendent of Police (West) Varun Kumar Sinha said: 'According to police investigations and forensic report it is clear that David consumed rat poison to end his life. Zinc phosphide (rat poison) was found in his body as per the viscera report.'

Earlier, an autopsy report had hinted at consumption of excess liquor and drugs to be cause of his death.

David, 52, was found dead by the police in a guest house in Khagaul area of Patna.

David, a resident of Melbourne, had arrived in India May 16. He had been staying in the guest house since May 29.