BENGALURU: On failing to get back Rs 25 lakh given to a realtor to buy a house, a woman allegedly killed her six-year-old daughter before committing suicide with her parents. The incident occurred in a rented house in Doddabommasandra in Vidyaranyapura on Saturday.
The house owner, Panchalaiah, discovered their bodies on Monday afternoon when he sensed a foul smell emanating from their ground floor house. He immediately alerted the police.The family had left a suicide note saying they had given Rs 25 lakh cash to a realtor to buy property, but the realtor was killed in a road accident recently. Dejected over not being able to get the money back, they decided to take this extreme step, the police said.
The deceased are identified as Janardhan (52), a driver by profession, his wife Sumithra (45), their daughter Sudharani(27), and Sudharani’s six-year-old daughter Sonica (6). Sudharani had allegedly smothered Sonica by plastering tape around her face. Sudharani’s parents were living in the rented house while Sudharani was staying with her husband Arjun and daughter in Mattikere. Sudharani had pursued B Pharma while Arjun runs a medical shop and also owns a clinic, hiring private counsellors.
A senior police officer said preliminary investigations revealed that their deaths occurred on Saturday. The house owner, a retired government employee, who lives on the first floor, had rented out the ground floor house to Janardhan and he had seen the family alive on Saturday morning. Based on a complaint by Sudharani’s husband Arjun, further investigations are on and the investigators are waiting for a forensic report.
In his statement, Arjun said that he was unaware of Sudharani and her father giving Rs 25 lakh to a realtor for purchasing a house. Janardhan had even taken a loan from private financiers. Sudharani had gone to Janardhan’s house on Saturday. Arjun tried contacting her repeatedly. However, as he did not get any response, he thought she had gone to her relatives’ house and so he did not check. When he got to know about what happened he rushed to the spot.
Based on the preliminary probe, the police believe that Sudharani tried to smother herself first and also tried to hang herself. However, as it did not work, she consumed sleeping pills. She had also mentioned in the suicide note that anyone finding her unconscious should kill her as she wanted to end her life.
However, the police are yet to verify whether it was Janardhan who forced his daughter and his wife to take this step or Sudharani who gave them sleeping pills without their knowledge before smothering her daughter and then taking her own life.
Jayashankar, a neighbour told The New Indian Express, “I have known Janardhan’s family for eight months. They were nice people. They had no domestic issues. Their neighbours and their landlord were aware that they had paid money to someone to buy a house. It was a shock to everyone.”
If you are having suicidal thoughts or are in emotional distress, help is available. You can get in touch with the SAHAI helpline at 080-25497777, open from Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 10pm and Arogya Sahayavani 104 which is available 24/7.