A couple and their two children died after eating a poison-laced cake in what is suspected to be a suicide pact at Belalgere village in the taluk on Thursday. The incident emerged on Friday.
Police suspect that Phalakshi (34) fed the cake to his wife Shashikala (28), son Karthik (8) and Varshini (6) before eating it himself. The family was found dead by relatives on Friday morning.
Police investigation shows that shortly before the incident, Phalakshi had sent his parents to live with his elder brother. Shashikala was said to be unwilling to live with Phalakshi's parents, and often quarrelled with him over the matter. But Phalakshi chose to live with his parents.
The Basavapatna police have registered a case over the incident.
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