Unwilling to be a 'burden' nonagenarian couple commit suicide

A nonagenarian couple bogged down by ill health and not wanting to be a burden on their children committed suicide by consuming poison at Venkatraopalli in Ramadugu mandal of the district late on Tuesday.

Vedira Muthaiah (95) and Latchavva (90) who lived in an ill-equipped tiled house in abject poverty were cut away with their children for four decades.

They were headstrong but could not cope with old age maladies, according to villagers.

Four offspring

Belonging to washerman community, the couple had two daughters and two sons.

The daughters died in their childhood but the sons Latchaiah and Kanakaiah lived in the village in separate houses.

The couple procured subsidised rice as a BPL family but Latchavva used to get old-age pension of ₹1,000 from the government. Their sons provided other assistance frequently.

In recent past, Latchavva was bed-ridden and unable to even attend to nature calls. Muthaiah struggled to assist her.

Their daughters-in-law never visited them nor helped them when they were sick.

Ill-health

In these circumstances, it was suspected that they might have decided to take the extreme step as they felt they will have to fend for themselves if both of them fell sick. Their two sons performed the funeral on Wednesday. The village sarpanch said their children could not be faulted because as they had provided household requirements regularly.