Couple prepare for last rites, end lives

Thrown out of the house by their daughter-in-law, ailing husband and wife consume poison

Also, the couple readied the materials for their final rites, with the intention of not ‘troubling’ their son and daughter-in-law after their death.    

Chikkamanchaiah and Puttasiddamma, who owned 2.5 acres of agriculture land in the village, were being looked after well by Sundaramma, the wife of their son, Manchaiah. However, four years after her marriage, she started quarrelling with her in-laws and succeeded in throwing them out of the house.  

What pained the aged couple the most was the fact that their son did not raise even a whimper of protest to this act of his wife. The husband and wife then started living at their farmhouse. But, soon their health started to deteriorate.

They were rendered helpless when their son did not come to their aid. As a final step, the couple decided that suicide was their only way out on August 28 (Sunday). They went to Maddur to buy a bottle of poison as also items required for their final rites like garlands, betel leaves, arecanuts, agarbathi, turmeric, vermilion, earthen pots and tender coconuts to be tied to the four corners of the bier on which they would be taken for the funeral.

On Sunday night, Puttasiddamma requested the owner of the neighbouring farm to come to her house the next day as she required help to take her ailing husband to hospital for treatment. This she did, so that the couple’s death does not go unnoticed.

Soon after, the husband and wife consumed poison, and by Monday morning, they were lying dead. As news of their death spread in the village, the couple’s son was informed and the last rites were performed with the materials kept ready.