THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A woman and her daughter were found dead inside their house in Kamaleswaram after allegedly consuming poison on Wednesday. Glasses believed to have been used for consuming poison and a suicide note were recovered from the spot. Police have begun investigation.
The deceased are S L Sajitha, 54, and her daughter Greema S Raj, 30. They were found lying dead on a sofa in the hall on the ground floor of their house at Santhigardens near Aryankuzhi in Kamaleswaram.
Before their death, Sajitha had sent a WhatsApp message to relatives around 1pm on Wednesday noting that she and her daughter were going to end their lives by consuming cyanide. In the message, Sajitha mentioned family disputes as the reason and has allegedly blamed Greema’s husband Unnikrishnan.
According to sources, Greema had lived with her husband for just 25 days after the marriage. Sajitha wrote that they were unable to bear the humiliation caused by the situation. Relatives said Greema’s marriage had taken place six years ago and Unnikrishnan is a native of Ambalathara. He is reportedly working as a college lecturer in Ireland.
Relatives who received the WhatsApp message informed the office-bearers of the Santhigardens residents association and local councillor Giri. As there was no response from inside the house, the police control room was alerted and the information was passed on to the Poonthura police.
A police team led by Shanghumugham assistant commissioner R Rafi, Poonthura SHO S Sajeev and SI V Sunilkumar reached the spot. The door was forced open and the bodies were found during the search. Police later recovered the glasses suspected to contain traces of cyanide and the suicide note.
Relatives alleged that Greema was disturbed when she met her husband recently during a funeral. It was after sharing these issues with relatives that Sajitha and Greema allegedly decided to take the extreme step.
Police have begun a detailed investigation into how the two got cyanide which is not easily available to the public. Preliminary inquiries suggest they had no direct connection with professions that commonly use the chemical. Tracing the source of the poison is expected to be a key part of the probe.
The Poonthura police completed the inquest at the house and shifted the bodies to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination. The exact cause of death will be officially confirmed after the postmortem report is received.
(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.)