KOLLAM: Six persons belonging to two families, including three children, were found dead near Paravoor in the district on Sunday. While local CPI leader Archana, 30, of Polathur and her daughters Anu, 10, and Amy aka Ponnu, 8, were found dead in their house at 7.30 a.m.
The bodies of Archana's neighbours, Ratheesh, 24, a CPM local leader and daily wage labourer, wife Saranya, 24, and their two-year-old son Yadukrishnan were found in their house at 10. 30 am.
The police were not sure whether there was any connection between the suicides of the families who lived near Polachira Gurukulam temple and Udayakala Club.
Both Archana and Ratheesh reportedly had financial dealings and he had visited her home thrice on Saturday, it is said.
Kollam city police commissioner P. Prakash told DC that Archana had poisoned her children first before hanging herself.
Archana’s father Vijayan Pillai spotted the children dead on the bed by 7.30 am while she was found hanging. Archana’s husband Anil Kumar is in the Gulf. Mr Prakash constituted a team led by Chathannur ACP S. Sivaprasad and Paravoor CI V. S. Biju to probe the incident.
Mr Biju told DC that Archana had left a suicide note saying that her husband was not giving her proper care and that money mattered most to him.
“Financial liabilities forced Archana to take the extreme step. She poisoned her children first before hanging herself. It was Anil Kumar’s second marriage and Archana’s firs.
The bodies were handed over to the families after post-mortem. The cremation will be held on Monday after her husband arrives from the Gulf, said Mr. Biju.
Anu and Amy were students of Vimala Central School, Chathannur. Archana was the local branch secretary of the CPI and it is said that she was into money laundering business which led to acute financial difficulties.
She had tried to commit suicide five months back and was undergoing counselling. Usually, she and her children go to her parents’ home at Chirakkara to spend the night.
But on Saturday night, Archana returned to her home along with her children. When her father could not reach her on her mobile on Sunday, he rushed to their house and found them dead.
It was while the police were doing the inquest on Archana and her children that Polachira native Ratheesh and his family too were found dead by the local people at 10.30 a.m. Their son was found strangled.
According to Kottiyam circle inspector V. Joshy, Ratheesh had written a suicide note on the wall of his home saying that he and his wife Saranya were unhappy over his mother-in-law’s immoral activities,” said Mr Joshy.
He also said that several cows belonging to a neighbouring farm were found straying. The police were investigating whether Ratheesh had any role in it. Saranya had eloped with Ratheesh after her marriage was fixed with another man by her family.
Police Commissioner Prakash told DC that further investigation, including forensic and chemical examinations, would be conducted on Monday to know the motive behind the suicides.
Download the all new Deccan Chronicle app for Android and iOS to stay up-to-date with latest headlines and news stories in politics, entertainment, sports, technology, business and much more from India and around the world.
