BELAGAVI: In a deeply tragic incident stemming from domestic strife, a woman allegedly pushed her three young children into a farm pond before dying by suicide in Baradanahalli village of Kurugodu taluk, Ballari district.
The deceased have been identified as Siddamma (30) and her children Abhigna (8), Avani (6), and Arya (4). The family hails from Belagavi. Siddamma had travelled to Ballari along with her husband Kumar and their three children to herd sheep, as they did every summer.
For the past few years, the family had been staying at the farm of a man named Raghavendra in Baradanahalli during the summer months, returning to their hometown Belagavi with the onset of the monsoon.
However, on Monday, Siddamma reportedly had a dispute with her husband. Later that day, as per routine, she left with her children to graze the sheep. During this time, she is believed to have pushed the three children into a nearby farm pond and then jumped in herself.
When the sheep failed to return to their shelter by evening, Kumar grew suspicious and began searching for his family. He eventually found the sheep near the pond and, to his horror, discovered the bodies of his wife and children.
A case has been registered at the Kurugodu police station based on a complaint filed by Siddamma’s brother. The bodies have been sent to a local hospital for post-mortem examination.