UDUPI: In a suspected suicide pact case, a 35-year-old man died while his wife is battling for life after they and their one-and-a-half-year-old son consumed poison while travelling in a private bus from Kollur to Udupi. The incident was reported on January 9 and the bus was on its way to Udupi from Kollur.
Victim Rajkumar and his wife Sangeetha (28) were rushed to the Wenlock Hospital in Mangaluru were he passed away on Thursday night, sources said.
The incident came to light when other passengers in the bus noticed the couple and the child lying unconscious, and informed driver Mohammed Iqbal, who immediately drove his vehicle straight to the taluk government hospital in Kundapur. Later, the couple was shifted to Wenlock for further treatment.
Their child is being treated at the Government Koosamma Shambhu Shetty Memorial Haji Abdullah Maternity and Children Hospital, Udupi. The child is said to be out of danger, sources said.
The couple hailed from Tamil Nadu and had settled in Udupi. They were returning to Udupi after visiting the Sri Mookambika Temple, Kollur. Police suspect that the couple would have bought the poison some days back and kept it with them. The exact reason for the suicide attempt is yet to be ascertained.
Kundapur Rural police have registered a case under Section 174 of the CrPC.