Chennai: In what seems to be a suicide pact, a family of four, a couple and two daughters, were found hanging to death in suburban Anakaputhur.
Poverty could be a reason behind the extreme step, police said. Their decomposed bodies were taken out of the rented premises on Gopalachetty street and shifted to the Chromepet GH by the police after neighbours complained about foul smell emerging from the house. They were all found dead hanging two ends of two ropes.
Police identified the deceased as S. Sudalamuthu, 34, a worker in a welding shop, his wife Thulasi, and their daughters Preeethi, 8 and Saranya, 5. Thulasi was housewife, while Preethi was a class III student and Saranya was attending UKG.
It is not clear how the couple convinced their kids to be part of the suicide pact, police said. Police said that Sudalamuthu and his elder daughter were found hanging in two ends of a single rope while Thulasi and Saranya were found hanging from two ends of another rope.
“Their bodies were decomposed and the neighbours had not seen the family members for the last five days,” police noted. Though there was no suicide note, police said the family was fighting financial problems.
“Thulasi used to talk about their debt and struggle to manage the family with the salary received by my son-in-law. But we never expected such an act,” said Kala, mother of Thulasi, fighting bac tears.
Local residents expressed grief when they saw police shifting the bodies of school going kids.
“The family shifted to this street one and a half months ago because they were struggling to pay rent at Kulakarai street, where they resided earlier. There were no crackers or new clothes for kids for Deepavali in their house. There were always quarrel between the Sudalamuthu and Thulasi,” said one resident from the street. Sankar Nagar police said they were also looking into the possibilities of the family being threatened by usurers after Sudalamuthu failed to repay loans.
