T’puram: A couple were found dead under suspicious circumstances inside their residence near Akkulam on Friday, with police suspecting that the man died by suicide after assaulting the woman. The deceased were identified as Raghunathan Nair (64) and Pushpa (57).According to police, Raghunathan, a retired BSF officer, was found hanging in the kitchen, while Pushpa’s body was discovered lying on the floor. Initial findings indicate that Raghunathan may have assaulted and killed Pushpa before ending his life.Police said the couple had lent around 24 sovereigns of gold to a relative, which was not returned, leading to frequent heated arguments. On the day of the incident, an argument broke out over the issue and turned violent. Raghunathan is suspected to have pushed Pushpa during the altercation. Postmortem report stated that she had sustained broken ribs.Police suspect that the deaths occurred around five days ago. The incident came to light after relatives noticed a foul smell emanating from the house and alerted Medical College police. A police team reached the spot around 9pm on Friday, conducted the inquest proceedings, and shifted the bodies to MCH mortuary. Police said Pushpa had been living with Raghunathan for the past few years after separating from her husband. Her adopted son had reportedly tried to contact her over the phone on Sunday, but she did not respond. The continued lack of contact raised concern among relatives. Police registered a case of unnatural death and initiated further probe.
