3 of family found dead

The dead are Elumalai (45), wife Muniyamma (35) and their daughter Rekha (17). Elumalai worked as a bar bender, while Rekha was a class nine student. The family was from Salem, Tamil Nadu.

The couple had moved to the City some years ago with their two daughters Rekha and Jyothilakshmi and had been living in Saraipalya for the past three years.

The elder daughter, Jyothilakshmi was working in a garment factory and was in love with a colleague. Since the parents were against the relationship, Jyothilakshmi eloped with her partner six weeks ago.

The parents, who initially assumed that she had gone to Salem, were shattered on learning the truth.

Elumalai stopped going to work fearing his reputation and couple used to quarrel over the issue.

Police suspect the couple had a fight on Thursday too, after which Muniyamma and Rekha went out for some work. When they returned, they found  Elumalai hanging from the ceiling fan. The mother and daughter locked the house from inside and consumed poison.

The deaths came to light when Raju, the landlord, grew suspicious on finding the house locked from inside with all the lights turned off and broke the door open with the help of a few neighbours.

The bodies were shifted to Dr Ambedkar Hospital for post mortem and were taken to Salem on Friday morning.

Police said the couple had not left any note.

“It’s not clear if he offered them poison and then killed himself, or if they consumed poison after seeing him dead. Since a few people saw the mother and daughter enter the house in the afternoon, we suspect they ended their lives after seeing Elumalai dead,” said a police officer at the Hennur police station.