A 37-year-old goldsmith allegedly committed suicide by consuming cyanide-laced soft drink, while his two minor sons, who also drank it, are undergoing treatment in the Government Hospital in Coimbatore, police said on Thursday.

The man, a resident of Telugupalayam in the city, had bought a bottle of soft drink last night and mixed it with cyanide before offering it to his sons and consuming it himself, when his wife was away at work, police said.

The children cried loudly after noticing their father vomiting, following which the neighbours rushed to the house and took the three to Government Hospital, they said.

While, the man died, the children are undergoing treatment in the hospital, where their condition is said to be stable, they said.

Financial burden is said to be the reason behind the extreme step, as the deceased had failed to deliver gold ornaments to a person from whom he had taken over Rs one lakh for the purpose, police said.

A suicide note has also been recovered from the house.