A tragic incident in Karnataka's Mandya district has claimed three lives, with a 65-year-old garment trader allegedly killing his wife and son before taking his own life. A purported suicide note left behind points to mounting debts, loan repayment pressure, and business losses, which the man linked to the state government's free bus travel scheme.
Victims Identified
The deceased have been identified as Prabhakar (65), his wife Jyothi (55), and their son Santosh (28). Police reported that the bodies of Jyothi and Santosh were discovered at the family's rented house, while Prabhakar was found hanging at his clothing shop on Tuesday morning.
Suicide Note Reveals Financial Distress
According to authorities, Prabhakar left a suicide note detailing severe financial hardship, including the burden of repaying home loan EMIs and significant losses in his business. He allegedly claimed that the increased frequency and convenience of bus services under the state's free bus scheme had adversely affected his trade, contributing to a decline in earnings.
Mandya Superintendent of Police Shobha Rani V J told PTI, "A suicide note was found in the house. In the note, he mentioned that he had taken a home loan and was under pressure to pay the EMI. He also wrote that his business had suffered losses. He further stated that he himself had killed Jyothi."
Sequence of Events
Police suspect that Prabhakar first strangled his wife and later his son before traveling to his shop and dying by suicide. Strangulation marks were found on both bodies, though officials indicated that the exact sequence would be confirmed only after post-mortem and forensic analysis. A dhoti believed to have been used in the killings was recovered from the house. Teams from the Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) unit and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) inspected the premises.
Discovery of Bodies
The tragedy came to light when Santosh's wife Meghana, whom he married on April 26 this year, discovered the bodies. According to her statement, the family had dinner together around midnight on Monday before retiring for the night. Prabhakar and Jyothi slept in one room, while Santosh and Meghana slept in another.
Meghana told police that she woke up around 6:30 am, completed household chores and prayers, and later went to wake her mother-in-law around 8:15 am. Finding the room locked, she opened it and discovered the bodies. She said she had heard no unusual sounds during the night.
Family Aware of Debt Burden
Police said Meghana was aware of the family's debt burden, which had been discussed around the time of her marriage. She also told investigators that there had been no quarrel or unusual incident in the house on the night before the deaths. The suicide note reportedly also referred to harassment by private financiers and mounting interest payments, adding to the family's financial strain.
Prabhakar and Jyothi are survived by an unmarried daughter who works for an IT company in Bengaluru. Mandya East police have registered a case and launched a detailed investigation into the deaths.
