Initial findings indicate that the children were given poison before the man and his mother died hanging, said officials on Tuesday. Four members of a family were found dead at their home on Monday in Kerala’s Kannur district, including a 38-year-old man, his 60-year-old mother, and his two children.
The bodies were found at the family’s home in Ramanthali, the police said, adding that the man and the woman were found hanging while the children were found lying on the floor, according to preliminary reports. The adults who died have been identified as Usha KT (56), Kaladharan KT (36). The children who were found dead were aged six and two.
Family consumed poison
According to Payyannur police, a case of unnatural death has been registered and a probe has been launched. Initial findings indicate that the children were given poison before the man and his mother died hanging, said officials on Tuesday.
According to post mortem reports of the deceased, the two children were poisoned, said an officer. “Subsequently, Kaladharan and Usha also consumed poison and later died by hanging,” the officer added. The bodies were handed over to the family on Tuesday after the postmortem examination.
What the suicide note said
The police said that it found a suicide note, which mentioned that there were marital problems between Kaladharan and his wife, who had been living separately for the past eight months. The police said that the court had granted custody of the children to Kaladharan’s wife, however, the children wished to stay with their father and had returned to his home recently.
In another major revelation, Kaladharan’s wife had also lodged a complaint against his father alleging that he had misbehaved with the children, said police. Kaladharan’s father was booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. They added that the children’s grandfather was living away from them with some relatives and was not present in the house when the family was found dead.\
