BERHAMPUR: A woman along with her son and daughter died under mysterious circumstances at Palibandha village within Rambha police limits in Ganjam district on Sunday evening.
The deceased were identified as S Mami Reddy (41), her son S Rakesh Reddy (22) and daughter S Meena Reddy (18). Police suspect it to be a case of suicide.
Villagers said after the death of her husband in an accident in Andhra Pradesh in 2022, Mami was living with her two children in Palibandha. She usually kept the gates of her house open till late in the evening. But on Sunday, Mami asked a few girls, who were visiting her house, to leave and reportedly locked the door from inside at around 7 pm.
After sometime, neighbours heard sounds of vomiting and painful cries coming from Mami’s house. They knocked on her door but there was no response. Subsequently, they broke open the door and found Mami and her children lying on the floor.
The villagers rushed the trio to Chhatrapur hospital. As their condition was critical, they were referred to MKCG Medical College and Hospital at Berhampur. However, they succumbed while undergoing treatment.
Sources said Mami’s family had no enmity with anyone in the village and also didn’t face any major financial crisis. She managed the household with her savings and had recently received compensation for her husband’s death. While Rakesh was searching for a job after completing his diploma from ITI, Meena had just appeared for her Class XII examinations.
On being informed, Rambha police reached the hospital and seized the bodies for autopsy.
An unnatural death case was also registered. Villagers informed police that Mami had recently purchased pesticide to protect rice stored at her home from worms. They claimed the family took the extreme step by consuming the pesticide. Police said a pesticide wrapper was seized from the deceased’s house. However, the exact cause of their deaths can be ascertained after the autopsy report arrives.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)