THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two members of a family died while two others had to be hospitalised after they reportedly consumed poison at Pullanimukku near Peringammala in the rural parts of Thiruvananthapuram district on Thursday night.
The deceased are Sivarajan, 56, and his daughter Abhirami, 22. Sivarajan’s wife Bindu and their son Arjun were admitted to the Medical College Hospital and their condition is said to be stable.
The Vizhinjam police said the family was in financial distress and the incident was a case of suicide. A police source said it was Arjun, who rang up Sivarajan’s brother and informed him that they had consumed poison. The police suspect that the family members consumed cyanide as Sivarajan had access to it being a goldsmith.
“Arjun told his uncle that his father administered them vitamin pills after which they felt uneasy and tired,” said the police source.
The police have registered cases of unnatural death and will record the statements of those who are hospitalised once they regain health. “Once they are able to talk, we will record their statements. Then only we will get a clear picture of what had occurred there. The relatives of Sivarajan have confirmed that he had financial issues,” the police sources added.
The neighbours of Sivarajan said he owed money to several people and also took a loan from a government financial institution. Since he could not repay the money, he was under mental stress, they added.