“I will not live if something happens to Jayanthi,” Bhasurangan often told his family. On Thursday, his words came true — he killed his ailing wife in a hospital room and then ended his life by jumping off the hospital building.

Relatives and neighbours, still in shock, struggle to believe that the man who loved his wife more than himself could have done such a thing. To those who knew him, Bhasurangan was a devoted husband and a kind-hearted man.

“Jayanthi had undergone surgery after being diagnosed with kidney failure, and doctors had said another one would cost around Rs 5 lakh,” recalled K Girija, Jayanthi’s sister. The family had been struggling to meet the mounting medical expenses. “They were very close. It was Chettan (Bhasurangan) who used to feed Chechi (Jayanthi). An OP ticket had already been taken to show her at the Medical College Hospital,” Girija added.

Bhasurangan was well-known in his locality and actively took part in community programmes. He was also a member of a men’s self-help group. Relatives believe it was the distress caused by Jayanthi’s illness and the financial burden that drove him to take the tragic step.

Jayanthi’s health had been deteriorating since her kidneys failed last August. She had been undergoing dialysis twice a week. When her condition worsened, she was admitted to a private hospital on October 1. She also developed an infection in her arm following the insertion of a dialysis tube. On October 5, she underwent another surgery, and doctors advised yet another one soon after, for which a large amount was needed.

The continuous dialysis sessions and costly private hospital care had left the family heavily in debt. Both the treatment expenses and follow-up procedures had become unbearable burdens.

Once a carpentry contractor by profession, Bhasurangan had stopped working in recent years due to age-related ailments. He had also suffered a stroke, which left one side of his body temporarily paralysed. Though he later recovered, he continued to struggle with mobility issues.