Depressed Gulf returnee hangs after killing wife, adopted son at Konni house

Depressed Gulf returnee hangs after killing wife, adopted son at Konni house
Soni Zachariah, 52, his wife Reena, 45, and their seven-year-old adopted son Rayan.

Konni: An apparent murder-suicide case involving a family of three has stunned a village here in southern Kerala. All the three members of the family were found dead at their house on Sunday. The dead are: Soni Zachariah, 52, his wife Reena, 45, and their seven-year-old adopted son Rayan.

The gruesome incident happened at Thekkinethu House at Payanamannil village, near Konni town, in Pathanamthitta district.

It is suspected that a debt-ridden Soni had killed his wife and son before ending his life, police stated.

The relatives arrived at the house after no one from the house was seen for the last couple of days. They called in the police suspecting something untoward.

Up on arrival, the police team broke open the door, only to find Soni hanging from the ceiling of the house. Reena and Rayan were seen lying dead on the bed.

Soni had returned to his native place from Kuwait. He was in acute mental agony due to heavy debts and an accident that occurred in Kuwait. He was under treatment for depression. He had been keeping aloof from the relatives for the last many months, police said.

It was on Friday that the relatives spoke to him over the phone for the last time. Soni had also asked the maid the other day not to come for work anymore.

Reena was found to have suffered injury in her throat. Rayan sustained injuries in throat and forehead, likely caused from a knife or any such sharp weapon. But no weapon was found from the spot.

The bodies of Reena and Rayan were found to be two days old, while the body of Soni seemed to be a day old.

All the three bodies were shifted to the mortuary of the Pathanamthitta General Hospital. Autopsy is to be held the Kottayam Medical College Hospital on Monday.

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