COIMBATORE: Allegedly, after killing his two children, aged 11 and 4, a 38-year-old farmer and his 70-year-old mother committed suicide in front of their house in Kundadam near Dharapuram on the outskirts of the Tirupur. According to police, the farmer, identified as V Muthusamy, was heavily in debt.
For 15 years, Muthusamy had been farming on 2 acres of leased land, police said. In recent years, he had not gotten a good yield and was unable to recover the money he had invested in cultivation. He grew tomatoes and onions depending on the season.
He had taken some `9 lakh in loans from various people over the past two years. With interest, he owed `13 lakh, police said. Unable to make money from agriculture, he stopped farming some months ago and started raising cattle. Meanwhile, his wife Selvi had started working at a textile unit in Tirupur, to make ends meet.
“As he had many loans, money lenders often visited the house. This led to quarrels between Muthusamy and Selvi. A few days ago, after one such quarrel, Selvi left to her mother’s house. Frustrated over the matter, Muthusamy killed his two children, Rajalakshmi and Manikasathiyamoorthy by hanging them from the ceiling of the house,” police said.
“Subsequently, Muthusamy and his mother Myilathal committed suicide outside their house,” police added.
Tirupur rural police rushed to the spot, after being alerted by locals. Tirupur rural police have registered a case under Section 302 (murder) of Indian Penal Code and Section 174 of Criminal Procedure Code and are probing the matter.
If you are in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call the Tamil Nadu government health helpline at 104 or the Sneha Suicide Prevention helpline at (044) 2464 0050/60 for around the clock counselling services.