Accidental overdose of sleeping pills, not suicide attempt, says singer Kalpana Raghavendar

Hyderabad: A day after being admitted to a hospital here by the police in an "unconscious" state, popular Tamil-Telugu singer Kalpana Raghavendar on Wednesday clarified that she did not attempt suicide, but had lost consciousness due to an overdose of sleeping pills at her home.

Doctors treating the singer confirmed that her condition is now "stable." After regaining consciousness, Kalpana informed the police that she had not attempted suicide, but had taken an excessive dose of sleeping pills as she was struggling to sleep.

According to a police statement, the singer had a "disagreement" with her daughter, who refused to move to Hyderabad for her studies despite her mother’s suggestion.

Kalpana stated that she had travelled to Hyderabad from Ernakulam on March 4. Unable to sleep, she initially took eight sleeping pills and later consumed an additional 10, which caused her to lose consciousness.

When Kalpana's husband was unable to reach her over the phone, he alerted members of the Colony Welfare Association, who in turn informed the police on Tuesday.

A team from the KPHB Police Station, along with members of the association, knocked on the main door, but after receiving no response, they entered the house through the kitchen door. They found Kalpana in an "unconscious" state and immediately shifted her to a hospital.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the singer's daughter also denied reports that her mother had attempted suicide.

Speaking to the press, she explained that her mother had accidentally taken an excessive dose of sleeping pills prescribed by a doctor for her insomnia.

"This is not a suicide attempt. It was just a slight overdose of prescribed medication due to general life stress. Our family is perfectly fine. My mom will be back in a few days. That’s all I have to say—this was not a suicide attempt, just a slight overdose of insomnia medication prescribed by a doctor," she said.