Coimbatore: A couple who lost their six-year-old son to a viral fever few months ago was found dead by suicide in a room of a private lodge here on Monday.
The deceased were identified as M Palanisamy, 39, from Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district, and his wife P Vathsala, 35, from Tiruchengode in Namakkal district. They were residing at VKV Srinagar in Vedapatti
They had checked into a lodge on Nehru Street in Gandhipuram on November 2 and paid for a three-day stay in advance. They were found dead when lodge staff checked their room around 4.30pm as the couple had not come out. The lodge management informed Kattoor police, who subsequently found a suicide note in the room.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that their son Vishnu, a Class I student had contracted viral fever seven months ago and was admitted to a private hospital in Kovilpalayam. After a week, the boy died without responding to the treatment. Police said the couple was unable to come to terms with the loss of their son.
Police sent the bodies to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for postmortem and later handed the bodies to their family. A case has been registered.
Inspector Dowlath Nisha said people can contact the government's toll-free helpline number 104, which is intended to provide medical assistance for several minor physiological illnesses, ailments, and mental distresses, etc.