Couple, son end lives in 'suicide pact'

A couple and their son allegedly ended their lives in North Bengaluru on Monday, police said. While the family owed Rs 27 lakh to moneylenders, police doubt if the debt drove them to suicide. The family owns properties, whose value far outweighs the debt.

Munivenkatappa, 56, his wife Nagavenamma, 50, and younger son Ravi Kumar 27, were found hanging in their home at Ananthapura, near Yelahanka New Town, around 4 pm, according to a preliminary police investigation.

The couple’s elder son and his wife were not at home at the time. The alleged mass suicide was discovered when they returned home.

A senior officer said that the family had a debt of Rs 27 lakh but Munivenkatappa had some property in Ananthapura. For a living, he worked as a real estate agent and did other odd jobs.

The couple’s surviving son and other relatives suspected that the debt might have triggered the suicide. The family feared that moneylenders would come to their doorsteps and demand their money back, police quoted the son as saying.

The police officer, however, doubts the debt theory. “The couple had some properties, whose market value is nearly Rs 1 crore. They could have easily sold one of the properties and paid off the debt,” the officer explained.

“The suicide occurred when their elder son wasn’t home. This seems a bit odd.”

A case of unnatural deaths has been taken up, said an officer from the Yelahanka New Town police station.