Kozhikode man consumes poison with aunt in Wayanad lodge, dies

Mananthavady: A man who attempted suicide along with his aunt by consuming poison died at a lodge here on Monday, while the woman remains in critical condition, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Ranjith (42), a native of Kandanchola, Kakkatt in Narippatta panchayat, Kozhikode district. The woman, from Kaniyaram near Mananthavady, is the wife of Ranjith’s paternal uncle.

According to police, the duo checked into a private lodge on Sunday evening and consumed poison. On Monday morning, the Mananthavady police received an anonymous call from a woman stating that she and her friend had consumed poison in a lodge and were in critical condition. The call was abruptly disconnected, and repeated attempts to reconnect failed.

Inspector Rafeeq P of Mananthavady police station said officers searched all lodges in town before tracing the pair.

 “We had to break open the door as it was locked from inside,” he said.

The woman was rushed to hospital in a critical state, while Ranjith was found dead. Initially admitted to the Government Medical College Hospital, Mananthavady, she was later shifted to WIMS Medical College, Meppadi, after her condition worsened.

Police said the woman had recently returned to her parental home in Kaniyaram for the Onam vacation, and Ranjith travelled to Wayanad on Sunday.

A case of unnatural death has been registered, and an inquest was conducted on Monday. The body has been shifted to Government Medical College Hospital, Mananthavady, for post-mortem and will be handed over to his relatives thereafter.