In a case of suspected suicide, three members of a family were found charred to death at their home near Varkala during the early hours of Tuesday.
The deceased were identified as Sreekumar, 60; his wife Mini, 55; and their daughter Ananthalakshmi, 26. The incident is suspected to have occurred at Vettoor by around 3.30 a.m.
On hearing a big sound and noticing a fire breakout from the two-storeyed house, their neighbours alerted the Fire and Rescue Services. The charred bodies of the trio were found after the fire was doused. While the bodies of Mini and Ananthalakshmi were found in a bedroom on the ground floor, Sreekumar was found partially burnt in a bathroom. They were all confirmed dead at a hospital.
According to the preliminary findings, Sreekumar is suspected to have killed his wife and daughter by dousing them in petrol and setting them ablaze while they were asleep. He later could have committed suicide, the police said.
Financial troubles
Sreekumar was a contractor who undertook infrastructure projects commissioned by the Military Engineer Services. Ananthalakshmi is known to have been pursuing PhD in Aeronautical Engineering in Hyderabad.
According to the police, the family that used to be financially well-off fell on difficult times. In a purported suicide note, Sreekumar accused a Thirumala-based sub-contractor of having cheated him.
(Suicide prevention helpline: DISHA – 1056, 0471 - 2552056).