A couple, allegedly being tortured by their alcoholic son, committed suicide by immolating themselves in their house in the early hours of Tuesday.
Police said ailing Selva Jayasingh, 68, of Zionpuram near Suchindram and his wife Thangam, 65, were living along with their unmarried younger son Yesu Jebin, 32, allegedly an alcoholic. As Yesu Jebin, under the influence of alcohol, would beat his parents everyday, the couple decided to commit suicide and conveyed their decision around 2.30 a.m. to their eldest son Sathish, who is living separately on the same street with his family.
After consoling his parents, Mr. Sathish asked them to go to sleep and assured them that he would visit them in the morning. However, Selva Jeyasingh and Thangam allegedly immolated themselves around 3 p.m.
As the couple in flames screamed in pain, Yesu Jebin, who was sleeping in his bedroom in the first floor, came down to rescue the parents. Since the door had been locked from inside, he, with the help of his cousin Alwin, broke the door only see the charred bodies of his parents.
The Suchindram police, who sent the bodies to the Government Medical College Hospital at Aasaaripallam for post-mortem, grilled the sons in connection with the suicide of their parents.
Those in distress or having suicidal tendencies could seek help and counselling by calling State’s health helpline 104 or Chennai-based Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.
