HYDERABAD: Suspicious of his wife’s fidelity, a man offered his children a pesticide-laced soft drink and consumed some of it himself at Medchal in Cyberabad late on Friday.
One of the children died, while the other and the man are in a critical condition.
The man, Bhukya Suresh, lived at Raja Bolarum with his wife Manjula and children Pradeep, 6, and Praneeth, 4.
He worked for an automobile company, while Manjula worked for another private firm. Suresh was suspicious of Manjula’s character and would often beat her, the police said.
On Friday night, he returned home in an inebriated condition, picked up an argument with Manjula, and beat her. Unable to bear the harassment, she put the children to sleep and went to her parents house, which was just a few metres away.
Around 11.30 pm, the children came to her crying. She noticed a strange odour emanating from them and asked about it.
She then took them back home, where she found Suresh unconscious. She noticed that Suresh had mixed pesticide granules in a soft drink, which he and the children drank.
All three of them were rushed to the hospital. While Praneeth was declared brought dead, Pradeep and Suresh are critical. Suresh is in Gandhi Hospital, while Pradeep is in Niloufer Hospital.
Police suspect Suresh took the extreme step as he was angry with Manjula. A case of murder and attempt to murder has been registered against him and an investigation is on.