BERHAMPUR: A 5-year-old boy and his baby sister died after a woman threw her three kids into a well before trying to end her life at Lauguda village within Seragada police limits in Ganjam district on Sunday night.
While the woman, identified as 35-year-old Rashmita Gouda, and her elder daughter Gunjan (9) were rescued, her minor son Ashish and 10-month-old daughter Alisha drowned in the well. Rashmita reportedly took the step after a fight with her husband over the phone. Her husband Balaram Gouda (42) works at Surat in Gujarat.
Neighbours said the couple used to fight over some family dispute frequently. The duo had a bitter quarrel over the phone on Sunday night. After dinner, Rashmita first threw the three kids into the well in the backyard of her house and later jumped into it.
On hearing loud splashing sounds, neighbours rushed to the well and found Rashmita and Gunjan in the water. The duo was rescued but Ashish and Alisha could not be traced. On being informed, fire services personnel reached Lauguda village and retrieved the bodies of the two kids from the well on Monday morning.
Sources said Rashmita bit her tongue on seeing the bodies of her two kids. Due to profuse bleeding, she was admitted to the local hospital. Later in the day, police sent the bodies for postmortem. Seragada IIC Manoj Kumar Pradhan said after treatment, Rashmita was questioned by police. The woman told cops that she took the step as she was depressed over the lingering family dispute. “The woman lived alone with her three kids. Her in-laws lived separately in another house in the village. We have informed her husband about the incident,” he said.
The IIC further said the exact reason behind the woman’s shocking act can be ascertained after her husband Balaram reaches the village. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.
Incidentally, this is the second such incident in Ganjam in the last one month. On June 15, a woman of Patrapur block along with her two kids had jumped in front of a running train. While her son survived with critical injuries, the woman and her daughter were killed.