Woman, 72, puts sick husband, 76, to death as act of alleged mercy killing

Says she could no longer endure the sight of the paralysed man struggling
Gopi
Gopi

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Disheartened at the sight of the pain endured day in, day out by her elderly husband who had been lying paralysed and bedridden for 15 years, his wife killed him by slitting his throat inside their makeshift house at Neyyattinkara on Tuesday morning.

After ending the life of Gopi, alias Njanadas, 76, Sumathi, 72, ran towards a nearby pond to die by suicide, but fell down midway and lost her consciousness. Local residents took both of them to the Medical College Hospital in the capital city. While Gopi was declared brought dead, Sumathi survived. Her arrest would be recorded later. 

Sumathi reportedly told the doctors that she could no longer endure the sight of her husband struggling. Gopi could hardly move his right hand after suffering a stroke. Gopi was found lying in a pool of blood on the floor by his son Sunil Das around 7.30am. 

According to the police, the incident took place when Sunil, who had visited his parents, returned home, which is 50 metres away, to bring breakfast for them By that time, Sumathi took a knife from the kitchen and cut Gopi’s throat in an act of mercy killing.

The two used to stay at the house of Sunil, who is running a marriage bureau at Paliyode near Thiruvananthapuram. They were recently shifted to the makeshift house since Sunil’s house was being renovated.The Marayamuttom police have registered a case.

“The arrest is yet to be recorded as Sumathi is still in the hospital. We have requested the magistrate to record her statement. As soon as she is discharged from the hospital, we will arrest her,” said Neyyattinkara DySP M Anilkumar 

However, we’ve taken the statement from the doctor as preliminary evidence. The body of Gopi is kept in the morgue of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital and a post-mortem examination will be done on Wednesday,” said Anilkumar.

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