THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A four-member family, including two children, lost their lives in a suspected case of suicide pact at their rented house at Thonnakkal near Mangalapuram on Sunday. They were identified as Sreekumar, 40; wife Shubha, 35; daughter Vaiga, 6, and son Vinayak, 1, of Kulathoor. Police suspect that financial liabilities led Sreekumar to hang himself after poisoning his wife and children.
Sreekumar, a contract staffer with MILMA, was into real estate business and used to construct and sell houses. The family was not seen outside for some days and on Sunday night, local residents felt suspicious as the lights and air conditioner in the house were on continuously.
They informed their relatives at Kulathoor who broke the window panes to find the bodies. Shubha’s body was found hugging her children. Mangalapuram police reached the spot and cordoned off the area. The bodies were sent for autopsy on Monday morning.
“A note found from the house near Kadavoor temple at Vengodu, Thonnakkal, indicated that Sreekumar had financial liabilities worth several lakhs. He had taken money from several entities and hanged himself after giving sleeping pills to the family,” said Attingal DySP Chandrasekharan Pillai.
Police started a probe after allegations that loan sharks used to threaten the man for failure to return the money he had taken as credit. Sreekumar leaves behind mother Susheela and three siblings. The bodies were handed over to the relatives after autopsy.
