BENGALURU: A 73-year-old man and his 66-year-old wife allegedly died by suicide, reportedly due to age-related ailments and out of a fear of becoming a burden on their daughters. The incident occurred at their rented house in Manjunatha Nagar under the Basaveshwara Nagar police station limits.
The deaths came to light on Thursday morning when one of their daughters visited the house after her parents failed to answer her repeated phone calls. She then alerted the police.
The deceased have been identified as Eshwarachar (73) and his wife, Gowri (66). Eshwarachar, a former goldsmith, was unemployed. Police suspect the couple died after consuming juice laced with poison. They are believed to have taken the extreme step on Wednesday night.
The couple is survived by two daughters, both of whom are married and live with their families. According to the police, the daughters had been taking care of their parents. Gowri had been bedridden for the past few days after suffering a hip dislocation. The couple was also suffering from diabetes, hypertension and asthma.
Police said the couple was reportedly distressed over being heavily dependent on their daughters, although the latter had no objection to caring for their ageing parents.
“We are investigating to ascertain the exact reason behind the couple’s death. Although ill-health is suspected to be a factor, nothing can be said conclusively as no death note was found,” a police officer said.
The bodies have been shifted to the mortuary for postmortem examination.
The Basaveshwara Nagar police have registered a case of unnatural death and are investigating further.
HELPLINE
If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.