KOCHI: Five members of a family, including three children, were found dead at a rented two-storied house on Karshaka Road in Vaduthala, Kochi, on Saturday morning. The deceased were identified as Sreekumari (58), her daughter Aswathi Nair (36), and Aswathi’s three children — two boys aged 14 and 4, and a two-year-old girl. Police said the two women were found hanging inside a room, while the children were lying dead on a bed. The incident came to light after a relative of the house owner used a spare key to enter the house when repeated calls to the family went unanswered. Children poisoned before deaths suspected Investigators suspect that the children were poisoned before the women died by suicide. However, officials said the exact cause of death will be confirmed only after postmortem examinations, which are scheduled at Kalamassery Medical College. The bodies were reportedly found well dressed, adding to the eerie nature of the scene. Suicide note reveals family tensions Police recovered a suicide note from the house, pointing to emotional distress and alleged blame faced by Aswathi following her husband’s death. A senior officer with the city police said, “Aswathi’s husband had acute liver disease reportedly due to a drinking problem. He died by suicide in Aug last year. Before his death, the couple became estranged. After she left for her house, the husband’s family members and some locals tried to mediate between them for reconciliation, though it failed. He later died by suicide. In the suicide note, it is indicated that the husband’s family had started to blame her for his suicide,” said the officer. Will prepared months before deaths In a disturbing revelation, police said Aswathi had prepared a will about a month after her husband’s death. “We suspect that the woman must have been contemplating suicide for some time since the will was made back then. We don’t know what this Providence Home is, and efforts are on to identify it,” said the officer. According to the will, the family’s assets were to be transferred to an entity named ‘Providence Home’, which police are now trying to trace. Moved to Kochi for child’s treatment The family, natives of Vilappilsala in Thiruvananthapuram, had moved to Kochi only about two months ago. Police said the elder son was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city. “The older boy had some health issues and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city. We have found medicines at the rented house, and efforts are on to collect his medical history,” said the officer. Days before vacating, silence raises alarm The house had been rented temporarily, and the family was supposed to vacate it on Friday. When they could not be reached, the owner’s relative checked the house. “The owner’s relative used a spare key to open the house and found the bodies. The family was last seen on March 17, and the death is estimated to have occurred some time after that,” the officer added. Probe underway Ernakulam North Police have registered a case and launched a detailed investigation into the circumstances leading to the deaths. Officials are examining the suicide note, medical records, and other evidence to piece together the sequence of events in what appears to be a deeply distressing family tragedy.
