A suspected suicide pact involving a family of four in Kottayam's Ayarkunnam claimed the lives of a woman and her teenage daughter on Saturday, while her husband and son remain hospitalised after consuming poison.

The deceased have been identified as Jyotsna (40) and her daughter, Maria Theresa Thomas (17). Jyotsna's husband, Joby Cheruparath (50), and their son, Alan, are undergoing treatment at Government Medical College, Kottayam.

According to the police, the family consumed poison on Friday afternoon. However, the incident came to light only after Joby's brother was unable to contact them despite repeated attempts. He alerted others, following which all four family members were shifted to Government Medical College, Kottayam.

Maria succumbed to her injuries on Saturday morning, while Jyotsna died later in the evening. Joby remains in critical condition, while Alan is recovering. "The boy has started eating food and is stable," a police officer said.

According to the Ayarkunnam police, the family had been facing financial difficulties, and the preliminary investigation suggests this may have driven them to take the extreme step. "There was a delay in payment from a chit fund in which they had invested. The family was due to receive around ₹5 lakh, but the amount was not paid," a police officer said. However, the officer added that further investigation is required to ascertain the exact circumstances that led to the incident.

The police said Maria's post-mortem examination was completed on Saturday, while Jyotsna's will be conducted on Sunday.

Following Maria's death, the police registered a case of unnatural death and have begun an investigation into the incident.