Shocking discovery: Bodies of five from same family recovered, suicide angle probed

Kochi (The Uttam Hindu): A shocking incident has emerged from Kochi, Kerala. The discovery of the bodies of five members of a family in a rented house in the Vaduthala area on Saturday sent shockwaves through the area. The deceased include two women and three children. Based on preliminary investigations, police are considering it a case of mass suicide.

According to police, the deceased were identified as 58-year-old Sreekumari, her daughter Aswathy Nair (36), and Aswathy's three children (aged 14, 4, and 2). The family was originally from Vilappilsala in Thiruvananthapuram and had been living on Karaska Road in Kochi since February.

The incident came to light on Saturday afternoon when a cable TV operator arrived at the home for work. Looking through the window, he saw the two women hanging from a noose. When Ernakulam North police, responding to a local report, entered the house and found the three children dead.

Police recovered a suicide note from the scene, which is being closely examined. It is suspected that the women may have poisoned the children before committing suicide. However, the exact cause will only be known after the post-mortem report. The family's eldest son was undergoing treatment at a nearby private hospital, which is why they were staying there. They were due to vacate the house soon. Police are now investigating whether this step was driven by financial constraints, the stress of treatment, or some other pressure.