Mannar: A 12-year-old girl died on Monday after consuming juice poisoned by her father. He later died by suicide. The deceased are Shiva Ganga (12) and Manoj (50) from Sivasailam, Eramathoor.

Manoj picked up Shiva Ganga and Shivanandana (7) from the Sri Bhuvaneswari Higher Secondary School on Monday afternoon. On the way home, he bought juice from a stall, then spiked it with poison and offered it to his daughters.

Though both drank the juice, only Shiva Ganga finished it, while Shivanandana spat it out, saying it was bitter. "Even the older daughter complained that the juice was bitter, but she drank it anyway," says Latha V A, the ward member. After consuming the drink, both father and daughter lost consciousness.

According to witnesses, people took note of the unconscious man and child after Shivanandana began banging on the window of the car. Although they were rushed to a hospital, Manoj died around 4 pm.

"When they called me, I was told to come to the hospital because Manoj and the girls were in an accident. It was when I arrived that the doctors told me that Manoj had died after consuming poison," says Manikandan Achari, Manoj's brother-in-law.

On Monday, around 9 pm, Shiva Ganga, who was in critical condition, passed away. "The doctor told us as soon as we reached that Shiva Ganga won't survive, but I did not tell that to anyone then," he added.

Although Shivanandana remains in the ICU, doctors said that she is ok, says Manikandan. Latha, who is also the ASHA worker in the region, said that since the girl spat the drink, it did not impact her as much.

Manikandan says that while Manoj, who ran an M-Sand business, had debts, he never spoke to others about them.

Jyothi, the girls' mother, was at home with their youngest daughter at the time of the incident. "The mother and father were on really good terms. They never fought and seemed like a very happy family," says Latha.

The police have registered an FIR under section 109(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and their bodies have been sent for post-mortem.