The bodies of a 35-year-old autorickshaw driver and his two sons were found in Navaikulam on Saturday.
The Kallambalam police identified the deceased as Safeer of Nainamkonam, near Navaikulam, and his sons, Althaf, 11, and Anshad, 8.
The search for the trio began after a few people found Safeer’s autorickshaw abandoned near the pond attached to the Sree Sankaranarayana Swamy temple with slippers and masks lying nearby around 5 a.m. They also spotted a note inside the vehicle stating that Althaf was dead in the house, around one kilometre from the pond.
The police rushed to the house to find the boy dead with his hands and legs tied. Safeer’s body was soon retrieved from the pond. The police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel launched the rescue operation for Anshad. The boy’s body was recovered from the pond around 1 p.m. The police suspect Safeer to have murdered Althaf, before drowning Anshad in the pond, and committing suicide.
Depression
According to the police, Safeer’s wife Rejina had been living separately for four months, accusing him of torturing her. However, their children continued to stay with their father. Safeer purportedly used to undergo treatment for depression.
Althaf and Anshad were Class 6 and Class 4 students respectively of Government Higher Secondary School, Navaikulam. The results of the post-mortem examination are awaited.
(Suicide prevention helpline: DISHA – 1056, 0471-2552056)