A 65-year-old cloth merchant allegedly murdered his wife and son before dying by suicide in Mandya town in the early hours of Tuesday, June 9, with police suspecting that severe financial distress may have driven the crime.
According to Mandya Superintendent of Police VJ Shobha Rani, the trader, identified as Prabhakar, allegedly strangled or suffocated his wife Jyothi, 55, and son Santosh, 30, at their rented residence between 5 am and 6 am on Tuesday.
Police said Prabhakar later went to his cloth store, Kamadhenu, where he allegedly ended his life.
The incident came to light when Santosh’s wife Meghana, who had married him only about a month ago, entered her in-laws’ room early on Tuesday morning. She was reportedly asleep in the house at the time of the incident and was unaware of what had happened.
Prabhakar lived in the house with his wife, son and daughter-in-law. His daughter, who is unmarried, works in Bengaluru.
A suicide note recovered from the scene indicated that Prabhakar had been struggling with mounting debts and losses in his cloth business. According to the police, he wrote that he was under pressure to repay loans obtained from a private financial institution and that his business was not performing well.
Shobha Rani said the note also blamed the Shakti scheme, under which women can travel free on certain state-run buses, for affecting his business.
“He was under severe financial stress due to debts and difficulties in repaying loans. The investigation is continuing,” the Superintendent of Police said.
Police said Prabhakar had also taken a housing loan and was finding it difficult to pay the monthly installments. Investigators believe he had borrowed money from multiple sources, including microfinance institutions, and was facing increasing financial pressure.
While preliminary findings suggest that Jyothi and Santosh were strangled or suffocated, the exact cause of death will be determined after the postmortem examination, police said.
The Mandya East police have registered a case and are continuing their investigation into the incident.
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India
