Chennai: A 42-year-old man with HIV allegedly stabbed his wife with a knife before attempting suicide in Arumbakkam on Monday morning.
Ramesh, 42, a construction worker and a resident of Ambedkar Nagar in Arumbakkam lived with his wife Devi, 36 and his two daughters.
Sources said he was tested positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) a few years ago following which Devi and the two girls moved out of his house and lived in a rented house in the same locality.
Meanwhile, on Monday morning, when Devi was alone in the house, Ramesh allegedly entered the house on the pretext of getting his Aadaar card and within a few seconds he threw chilli powder on her face and stabbed her with a knife before attempting suicide.
Hearing Devi’s cry for help, the neighbours rushed to the house and found them lying unconscious. The neighbours informed the police, who rushed to the spot and shifted both to KMC and later to the Rajiv Gandhi government hospital.
One of his neighbours said he knew that death was imminent and had opted to kill his wife before committing suicide.
A case has been registered against Ramesh in Arumbakkam police station and further investigations are underway.
Meanwhile, Latha Janaki, a prominent psychologist, in the city believes that Ramesh could have taken the extreme step because of depression. “He was separated from his children and that could have led to him being angry at her for it. It is not typical behaviour but it isn’t uncommon in people who have been removed from their families because they are suffering from such health conditions,” she says. She further emphasised that sensitisation and acceptance is the key. “It may be difficult for families to accept and include an HIV positive patient into their families but abandoning them is not the answer.”
