A family of four has been arrested in Madurai in Tamil Nadu for allegedly smothering their elderly relative to death, in a case of what appears to be senicide. According to reports, the family has claimed that the deceased, identified as Karuppayi (75), allegedly wished to end her life and persuaded the family members to help her die, having been bed-ridden for long. The case came to light when the Thirumangalam police found the charred body of a woman at a deserted place a few days ago.
Those arrested include her daughter M Palaniammal (54), her granddaughter Kaleeswari (27), grandson Kalidoss (27) and Kaleeswari’s husband Vasanthakumar (32). According to the First Information Report (FIR), a case has been registered under Section 302 (Murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the accused.
Speaking to TNM, Thirumangalam Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) SS Vinothini said, “The family stayed at a rented house in Madurai’s Thirumangalam and was living in extreme poverty since the lockdown brought down their earnings. They were also put under pressure to vacate the house and could not meet living expenses and Karuppayi’s medical expenses.”
“We got to know about the body being burned in Thirumangalam at about 3.45 pm on Saturday (August 8). We doused the fire,” she added.
According to a report in The Hindu, the family had hired a pushcart to burn the body in secrecy in a secluded spot. With help from eye-witnesses in the area and CCTV visuals, the police were able to track down the family’s movement to Tirunagar, where they were planning to move to. The family had allegedly told their neighbours that they were shifting to Sivakasi.
Senicide is especially prevalent in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. Referred to as ‘Thalaikoothal’, the practice is illegal and is a form of mercy killing of the elderly that is accepted among certain communities. Over the years, government intervention and awareness programs advocating against the practice have been conducted. In 2018, director Priya Krishnaswamy’s film Baaram on this issue was awarded the National Film Award for Best Feature in Tamil.