Four-year-old boy dies, mother critically injured in 'suicide' attempt

Tirupati: A four-year-old boy died while his mother, Sumathi, 30, was critically injured in an alleged suicide attempt near their apartment in Kongareddipalle in Chittoor on Thursday following a dispute  with her in-laws, police said.

According to the police, Sumathi had been grappling with the loss of her husband, Hari, who died 10 months ago. Hari was employed in the engineering department of Chittoor Municipal Corporation and died of health complications.

Following his demise, Sumathi received financial benefits from the corporation and she was promised a job on compassionate grounds. However, sources close to the family say some people in the family did not approve of this.

Sumathi's mother-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law harboured envy and resentment towards her in this connection. They created a hostile environment where Sumathi was subjected to harassment and pressure to share the financial benefits she received. They ordered her not to accept the job offer from the corporation, these sources said.

The resultant tension escalated in the family. One day, Sumathi's brother-in-law assaulted her in front of officials of the municipal corporation. This apparently led to Sumathi’s attempt to end her life along with her son’s.

Sumathi was rushed to the government district hospital, while her son's body was taken to the mortuary. Police officials visited Sumathi in the hospital to gather information and assess the situation. A case has been registered and an investigation was initiated.