NAMAKKAL: A 36-year-old man allegedly hacked his three daughters to death before killing himself in Veppagounderputhur near Rasipuram early on Tuesday.
According to preliminary information gathered by police, the man (Govindharaj) was reportedly under immense financial strain, with outstanding debt of around Rs 14 lakh, borrowed from various sources. The mounting debt may have played a role in Govindharaj’s actions. However, officials are investigating all possible angles.
Police said Govindharaj was employed as a borewell manager in a private company. He lived with his wife Bharathi and their four children – three daughters (aged between five and eight) and an 18-month-old son.
The incident occurred around 3 am on Tuesday when Govindharaj’s wife and their son were asleep in one of the rooms of their house. Police said Govindharaj is suspected to have locked the room’s door from the outside. He then allegedly hacked his three daughters to death using a sickle before dying by suicide.
Meanwhile, disturbed by the unusual sounds and screams, Bharathi tried to check on the children.
Even though the room was ‘locked’ from the outside, she somehow managed to come out of the room and witnessed the horrifying scene.
Her cries for help drew the attention of neighbours, who rushed to the house. By then, all four were dead.
The deceased daughters have been identified as Prathiksha Sree (8), Krithika Sree (6), and Deva Sree (5).
Mangalapuram police have registered a case and launched a detailed investigation into the incident. The bodies were sent to Namakkal government hospital for postmortem.
(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.)