Couple found dead, police suspect murder-suicide

Thiruvananthapuram: A 65-year-old man has allegedly committed suicide by hanging after murdering his wife owing to family disputes at Kilimanoor on Saturday morning.
The deceased have been identified by the police as Rajendran of Pavizham at Pedikulam near Karettu and his wife Sasikala.
According to the neighbours, the couple used to quarrel with each other often. For both Rajendran, a retired officer of the irrigation department, and Sasikala this is their second marriage. Rajendran has two daughters and a son from the first marriage and Sasikala was childless. Sasikala and Rajendran have no children together.
Rajendran’s son Arun Raj, who works in Ernakulam, said Sasikala used to quarrel with his father raising false allegations and she did not like him loving his children.
According to Arun, through the CCTV and the mike installed at the house he found the couple fighting around 11:30 pm on Friday and he realized later that something was wrong.
“I heard her saying do not kill me, and later he was seen going out to get a dhoti. He went straight to the bedroom with it and was not seen after that. It raised suspicion and hence I called the neighbours and asked them to check what was going on there, said Arun.
The neighbours later found Rajendran hanging from a fan in the bedroom and Sasikala was seen lying unconscious on bed. They were rushed to a hospital, but their life could not be saved.
The Kilimanoor police have registered a case under section 174 of CrPC for unnatural death and started investigation.
“A forensic team has examined the crime scene. More details will be known only after getting the post mortem report," the police said.