MADURAI: A family of four attempted to end their lives in which a woman and her nephew died in Kalmedu near Madurai on Sunday morning. Other two were undergoing treatment at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai.
The police that though the neighbour claimed the cause of suicide after one of the family members tested positive for COVID but the inquiry is on.
According to police the deceased person was Jothika (23) and her nephew Rithish (3) of MGR Colony in Kalmedu. The mother Lakshmi (46) and brother Sibiraj (14) of Jothika were undergoing treatment at GRH.
The police said that Lakshmi's husband and other daughter Anitha died for other reasons in the last one year. In this situation, Jothika tested positive for COVID a day back. Fearing they would be suffer economically, the family members were in depression, said the neighbour to police.
The four family members attempted to end their lives by consuming poison. On Sunday morning, Jothika and Rithish were found died in the spot, whereas Lakshmi and Sibiraj were rushed to hospital. The bodies of deceased shifted to GRH for post mortem. Silaiman police launched an inquiry.
(Assistance to those having suicidal thoughts is available at Tamil Nadu Health Department Helpline number 104 and Sneha's suicide prevention helpline number 044-24640050)