Two Children Found Dead, Father Missing In Suspected Poisoning Case
Police recovered a suicide note allegedly written by Ravishankar. It stated "No one is responsible for my death, I have achieved nothing in my life. I am taking the children along with me. I am under heavy debt."
Vijayawada: Two children were found dead in their home in a suspected case of poisoning by their father, who suddenly disappeared from the scene.
The victims were 7-year-old Leela Sai and 9-year-old Lakshmi Hiranya.
Their father, hotel worker Vemulawada Ravishankar, was facing financial difficulties. He may have fed pesticide-laced food to his children and fled the scene, police investigations showed.
The bodies were found by the children's grandfather, Lakshmipati. The family's house on Tiruvuru Road remained locked during his multiple visits to the area over the past several days.
On Thursday, he noticed Ravishankar's bicycle outside the home. He felt a foul odor while attempting to move it. Looking through a window, he saw the children lying motionless on a bed inside.
He alerted the police. The Mylavaram police said, "After inspecting the scene, we discovered a pesticide bottle on a stool in the hall."
The children normally stayed at a missionary hostel in G Konduru where they attended classes three and five respectively. They were back home on summer vacation. Their mother, Chandra Kala, had been away for employment in Bahrain several months ago.
Police recovered a suicide note allegedly written by Ravishankar. It stated "No one is responsible for my death, I have achieved nothing in my life. I am taking the children along with me. I am under heavy debt."
Lakshmipati told police that his son had been under severe financial stress due to multiple debts, though the exact amounts and the nature of these debts remain unclear.
Family members said Ravishankar frequently mentioned being in debt, but he never disclosed specific details or the reasons behind his financial troubles.
Ravishankar reportedly stopped showing up to his job at the hotel a week before the incident.
He had been living alone with the children after his elderly parents, Lakshmipati and Anita, moved out due to ongoing family disputes, though his father continued to visit the house regularly.
Police are investigating whether Ravishankar borrowed money to finance his wife's travel abroad for work.
"Based on the note and other evidence, we suspect that he first killed the children and then may have attempted to take his own life or fled the scene," police said. A search operation has been launched to trace the missing father.
