PALAKKAD: A mother and two sons of a family have committed suicide after allegedly being cheated and harassed by the blade mafia here at Varode near Kottayi in Palakkad. Hours after the death report, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala directed the district police chief to form a special team and investigate into the case.
According to the police, the deceased have been identified as Madhavikutty, 85, Vinod, 39, and Pramod, 39.
They were living at Gokulam house near Kandathan Kavu at Varode near Kottayi in Palakkad.
Vinod and Pramod are twin brothers and their father Gopalan Nair is no more, said the police.
The police said that Vinod had left behind a death note to Ravidas from whom the former had borrowed money. In it, he had listed the names from whom he had borrowed money and also directed Ravidas to sell his property and pay back the debts to all including Ravidas.
Vinod and family might have given the power of attorney to Ravidas, and it was the letter that has put Ravidas in the spotlight, said the police. “The police will also investigate other angles also in the crime,” the police said.
Nonetheless, the police have not been able to trace how much money has been borrowed and how much repaid.
Based on the minister’s order, the police team headed by district police chief G Somashekharan raided Ravidas’ house, which is only 200 meters away from the deceased’s house.
The police said that Ravidas’ wife Narmada, who was in the house at the time of raid, said that the allegation against her husband was fabricated and that he had stopped money lending a year ago.
A few months ago the police had conducted a similar kind of raid when a man died near their house. Jealous people had been trying to ruin her husband, said Narmada.
However, the police have registered a case under IPC Section 174 for unnatural death. “We might add Section 306 too for including suicide if needed,” said Kottayi sub-inspector.