Four members of a family were found dead in their apartment at Chembumukku near Kakkanad around 2.30 a.m. on Thursday.
Sajo Johnson, 40, his wife Deepthi Antony, 34, and the couple’s eight-year-old children, Alfred and Alex, were found dead in their apartment at Chembumukku. The bodies were found by neighbours who went to check on the family as all the four had not been seen since Tuesday evening. The police suspect that they may have committed suicide by consuming poison.
Sajo, son of Johnson of Anikkat House, Kalathode, Thrissur, was working as a share trader. Deepthi did medical transcription and the children were students of Assisi Vidyaniketan Public School at Kakkanad. “The adults may have given poison to the children in their food and then consumed it themselves. Neighbours suggested that they may have been in financial trouble,” said a police officer at the Thrikkakara station.
The children were found lying in their beds whereas their parents were found in separate rooms.
The police were unable to find bottles or pills of poison in the room. Forensic experts could not find traces of food consumed in the apartment. “They were reported to have gone out to a nearby supermarket on Tuesday around 4.30 p.m. They bought chocolates for the children and other food items. It is not clear whether they consumed the poison outside the house, in the car, or inside the house,” said an officer.
The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination and later released to their relatives. The police are waiting for the post-mortem report to determine the nature of the poison used.