Kollam: The head of a family has died by suicide after preparing a funeral pyre himself at Puthur. The deceased is Vijayakumar (68) of Maranad.
Residents found the firewood kept near his sister's house going up in flames at daybreak on Thursday. Though people extinguished the fire immediately, they found the body when they checked the place in the morning. Enquiries revealed that it was Vijayakumar who had died. The police were informed immediately.
In a suicide note he wrote, Vijayakumar said he took the extreme step because he could not work and earn a livelihood anymore. Vijayakumar, who was a construction worker, had not been going to work for the past few days, the family members said.
Though his family is financially well-off, it is suspected that the anguish over his inability to work might have led to suicide.
