MALAPPURAM: A mother and her two children died in tragic circumstances in their house at Vettathur, a village bordering Malappuram district near Perinthalmanna on Monday. Jisha Mol, 35, a teacher at the RM higher secondary school, Melattur, was found lying unconscious in the bathroom with serious burn injuries all over the body beside the body of her daughter Anna Lijo, 12. Her 11-month-old child, Albert, was strangled and was lying in the bed room. Jisha’s husband T. Lijo, who slept in another room with their son Alan, 10, found the bodies around 6.30 in the morning and called the neighbours.
They took them to the nearby hospital and Jisha later died at a private hospital at Perinthalmanna. According to the family sources, Jisha was undergoing treatment for mental illness for the past few months. The autopsy conducted at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital confirmed that Jisha had set herself and daughter Anna ablaze using kerosene and Albert was suffocated to death, the police said. A lighter and pieces of charred clothes were also found from the bathroom.
The family had moved to their newly-built home four months ago. Lijo was abroad for several years before settling down at Vettathur about a year ago. Fingerprint experts and scientific assistants from the police collected evidence from the spot. A police team led by Mr P.Mohanachandran, DySP of Perinthalmanna and Circle Inspector of Pandikkad C. Yoosuf also reached the spot. The bodies were brought home by evening after the autopsy and the last rites will be held at St. Joseph’s Church at Vettathur on Tuesday.
