KOCHI: A four-member family, including two young children, was found dead inside their house in Kadamakkudy, near Kochi. The deceased are Nijo Johny, 39, his wife Shilpa, 32, and their children, Ebel, 7, and Aron, 5. While Nijo and Shilpa were found hanging in the bedroom, the kids were found to have consumed poison. Police suspect it to be a case of suicide.
The incident came to light when Nijo’s neighbour reached the house when he didn’t attend the phone call. When the neighbour reached the house the door was locked from the inside and no one was responding. Following this Tijo, Nijo’s brother, with the help of local people opened the door.
Shilpa, who was working abroad, had returned to join her family only a few days ago. Nijo was doing construction work in Kochi.
All four bodies were shifted to Paravur Taluk Hospital. The bodies will be handed over to relatives after the post-mortem. The funeral will be held at Kadamakkudy church cemetery.
Financial issues might have prompted family to take extreme step: Neighbours
KOCHI: Though the initial investigation into the death of a four-member family at Kadamakkudy points to a case of suicide, there is mystery regarding the deaths. Nijo and his wife, Shilpa, along with their two kids allegedly died by suicide hours before Shilpa was set to fly to Italy.
Their neighbours said she got the job opportunity after paying a hefty amount to a travel agency in Kodungalloor. They said some issues pertaining to their journey might have prompted them to take such an extreme step.
“It was last month that Shilpa approached a travel agency to fly to Italy. However, she was forced to end her journey in Dubai and return home a few weeks ago. On Monday, they informed us that she was going to Italy again on Wednesday. Even she had packed her bags for the journey. Moreover, they were so happy, as the new job would help them solve all their financial issues. Something might have happened on Tuesday night. Most probably it may be a travel-related issue,” said Anil, their neighbour.
According to another neighbour, after Nijo’s brother Tijo got married a few years ago, the former’s family shifted to the upstairs of the house, which they built after taking a loan. “In order to clear the debt, Shilpa planned to go to Italy in 2018. An agency based in Kodungalloor was approached for this purpose. By selling and borrowing gold, more than `5 lakh was handed over to the agency. However, the pandemic played spoilsport on their plan,” the neighbour said.
There was an allegation that the travel agency didn’t help her even after collecting a large amount of money.
It is learned that the suicide note that the couple left in the room clearly mentioned the financial issues that led them to take the extreme step.
Meanwhile, a police officer with Varappuzha station said a detailed investigation would help reveal the exact reason for the suicide. “We have registered a case, and a probe has already been launched,” said the officer.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. In case you feel distressed by the content or know someone in distress, call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7).