Painter Kills Wife, Dies by Suicide in Vizag

 Visakhapatnam: A man murdered his wife over a domestic dispute and later died by suicide in Kancharapalem, of Visakhapatnam district in the early hours on Friday.

According to police, the accused, Nandigama Gopinath (42), a painter by profession, allegedly attacked his wife, Venkata Lakshmi (39), multiple times before taking his own life around 2.30 a.m.

The couple’s two children—10-year-old daughter Lakshmi Padma and 19-year-old son Rithwik—witnessed the horrific events.

The incident reportedly stemmed from ongoing marital discord. Venkata Lakshmi had lodged a complaint at the Disha police station on June 2, alleging physical abuse and harassment by her husband, whom she also accused of indulging in bad habits and irresponsible spending.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Kancharapalem CI Chandrasekhar confirmed that Gopinath killed his wife and subsequently died by suicide. “On Thursday midnight, Gopinath pressured his wife to withdraw the police complaint. When she refused, the argument escalated into violence,” he said.

Padma, their daughter, recounted the horrifying details: “He hit my mother ten times with a dumbbell. He held a knife to my forehead and threatened to kill me if I screamed.”

She also said that before ending his life, her father turned to her brother and said, “Take good care of your sister. Both of you be careful—we are leaving.”

Sources revealed that Gopinath allegedly used chalk to write on the floor, stating, “Nagesh is the reason for my death.”

Kancharapalem police rushed to the spot upon receiving an alert. The bodies were shifted to a government hospital for post-mortem examination. A case has been registered, and further investigation is under way.