Mandya, 9 June

A 65-year-old man allegedly killed his wife and son before ending his own life by hanging himself at his clothing shop in this district on Tuesday, police said.

The deceased were identified as Prabhakar, his wife Jyothi (55) and their son Santosh (28), they said.

He also left a suicide note citing business losses and pressure to repay home loan EMIs, which police suspect may have driven him to take such an extreme step.

According to police, the incident that occurred at around 6 am came to light after information was received that Prabhakar had allegedly killed his wife and son at their rented house before going to his shop and dying by suicide.

"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," Mandya Superintendent of Police Shobha Rani V J told reporters here.

Responding to a question about the death note reportedly citing the state government's free bus scheme as the reason for business loss, the SP said Prabhakar had written that increased frequency and convenience of bus services had adversely affected his business, resulting in losses.

Based on preliminary findings, police suspect that Prabhakar may have first strangled his wife and then his son before proceeding to his clothing shop and hanging himself.

"Strangulation marks were found on the bodies. However, the exact sequence of events and cause of death will be confirmed only after the investigation and post-mortem examination," the officer said.

A dhoti was found on the bed and is suspected to have been used in the crime. Teams from the Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) unit and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) have inspected the spot.

Investigators said Santosh had married Meghana on April 26 this year.

According to her statement, all family members 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.

During inquiry, Meghana said she did not know when her husband got up and left the room.

She claimed she heard no sounds or disturbance since the fan was running, the officer said.

Meghana told police that she woke up around 6.30 am, completed household chores, took a bath and performed prayers before going to wake up her mother-in-law around 8.15-8.30 am. She found the room latched and, upon opening it, discovered them in this state.

Police said Meghana also told investigators that she was aware of the family's debts as it was communicated by them around the time of her marriage.

Responding to a query on whether there was any quarrel the previous night, the officer said, citing the daughter-in-law's statement that there was no quarrel and nothing unusual happened during the night.

To a query if Santosh had any mental health issues, as claimed in some quarters, the SP added, "At this stage, we do not know. We do not yet have full details. Nobody has provided any information regarding that. Once we receive the post-mortem report, we may get some indication about the possible reasons."

Prabhakar and Jyothi also have an unmarried daughter who works for an IT company in Bengaluru, they said.

Further investigation is underway.

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