Kamal Ghorui
From Left – Sreekumari (58) , Aswathy Nair (36)
KOCHI: In a chilling incident in Kochi’s Vaduthala area, five members of a family, including three children, were found dead in a rented two-storey house on Saturday morning. Police said Sreekumari was found wearing a formal saree, while the two younger children were discovered on a bed, covered with blankets and well-dressed, complete with sunglasses. The eldest child was found in another room, placed on a sheet laid out on the floor and dressed in suit.Police suspect a case of murder-suicide, with the two adults believed to have died by suicide after killing the children.The deceased have been identified as Aswathi Nair (36), her mother Sreekumari (58), and Aswathi’s three children aged 14, 4 and 2. While the two women were found hanging, the children were found dead inside the house. Preliminary findings suggest possible poisoning, though the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem.A suicide note recovered from the house points to prolonged distress. According to police, Aswathi’s husband had died by suicide in August last year following health issues linked to alcoholism and marital discord. The note indicates that she faced blame from her husband’s family after his death.Investigators said that about a month after her husband’s death, Aswathi had prepared a will stating that her assets should be transferred to an entity named “Providence Home,” which authorities are now trying to identify. Police believe she may have been contemplating suicide for some time.The family, natives of Vilappilsala in Thiruvananthapuram, had moved to Kochi two months ago for the medical treatment of the eldest child. Medicines were recovered from the house, and officials are collecting the child’s medical history as part of the investigation.The house had been rented temporarily, and the family was expected to vacate it recently. Concern arose after they stopped responding to calls, prompting the house owner’s relative to enter using a spare key and discover the bodies. The air-conditioner was found running, and police said the family was last seen around March 17.It is suspected that the woman had dressed the children before the incident.The bodies have been shifted to Ernakulam General Hospital and Kalamassery Medical College for post-mortem examination. Police said further investigation is underway and relatives of the family have been informed.
