Man poisons 6-year-old daughter, takes his own life in Kochi

Kochi: In a tragic incident, a 33-year-old man and his six-year-old daughter were found dead inside their residence in Elamakkara here on Friday morning. The police suspect it to be a case of murder-suicide.

The deceased are natives of Panavally in Cherthala. The family had been residing in a rented house on St. Xavier’s Road at Ponekkara, Elamakkara.

According to the Elamakkara police, the man was found hanging from the ceiling, while the child was found lying motionless on the bed. The police suspect that the father may have poisoned his daughter before taking his own life. The incident is believed to have occurred between 11.30 pm on Thursday and 11 am on Friday.

The bodies were discovered by the man's wife and her cousin on Friday morning.

The sequence of events began late Thursday night when the mother returned home at around 11.30 pm after finishing her shift at a shop in an Edappally shopping mall. Finding the house locked and her husband and daughter missing, she became anxious. The man’s mobile phone was also switched off.

Worried and unable to contact them, the mother travelled to her cousin’s house in Poothotta for the night.

“We tried reaching him on his phone throughout the night but in vain,” the cousin told Onmanorama. “This morning, the mother and I returned to Ponekkara, intending to file a missing person complaint with the police. However, before going to the station, we decided to check the house one last time.” he said.

Upon reaching the house, they found the door closed but not locked, with the key left in the keyhole. “When we went inside, we were shocked to see their bodies and immediately alerted the police. We have no idea why he would take such an extreme step,” he added.

Police sources said that the man, who worked as a salesperson, had been unemployed for some time. “Prima facie, it appears that he committed suicide after murdering the child. However, a detailed investigation is required. Only a postmortem examination can confirm the exact cause of death,” a police officer said.

The Elamakkara police have registered a case of unnatural death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). Inquest formalities are currently underway.