Malappuram: The family of Malayali techie couple Muhammed Aslam and Farhana, who were found dead in their flat in Gurugram on Thursday, believes that their deep love for each other may have led them to make a joint decision to end their lives, amid job-related pressures and depression.

The incident occurred on Farhana’s birthday, with the couple exchanging birthday gifts before their deaths. Farhana’s brother, Muhammed Faisal, said the couple had spoken to family members about their mental state, though their loved ones had no indication of the tragedy that was to follow.

Muhammed Aslam, 30, a native of Pullavoor, Koduvally in Kozhikode district, and Farhana, 28, a native of Nediyiruppu, Kondotty in Malappuram district, were found dead inside a flat at Marina Society, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Badshahpur police station. Both were IT professionals. Police have already clarified that Aslam murdered Farhana before taking his own life. Prior to the incident, Aslam had sent an email note to his company’s employer containing contact numbers for his father and the landlord. The note also said that they both "are leaving the world" and their bodies should be taken to their native places.

Muhammed Faisal, brother of Farhana, said the family strongly believes that they both took the decision jointly as they shared a deep bond of love.

"I knew both Farhana and Aslam personally, and their relationship was truly a beautiful love story. Both shared a close bond with me and my wife, who is a psychologist. They were both struggling with job-related anxiety and depression, yet we remained hopeful that they would overcome these challenges and recover. Sadly, the two who lived happily together passed away together. It is difficult to blame anyone for this tragic incident. They shared a deep connection and seemed inseparable. Even shortly before their deaths, they exchanged birthday gifts, a poignant reminder of the love and affection they had for each other," said Faisal

Farhana was wearing a T-shirt bearing the words “I Love You” during her final moments. “The choice of that T-shirt itself may reflect what they wanted to convey through their deaths. Having stayed in touch with them and shared many personal conversations, I can understand the kind of thoughts they might have been going through,” said Faisal.

Aslam and Farhana got married in 2023. Farhana earned a BTech degree in Computer Science from MES College in Ernakulam and worked with various IT firms in Infopark and Bengaluru. Aslam held a BTech degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Calicut (NITC) and an MBA from IIM Indore. He had worked with an IT firm in Bengaluru before recently moving to Gurugram.

According to Faisal, the wording of Aslam’s email note indicated that the couple had made the decision to end their lives themselves and had expressed their wish for their bodies to be taken to Kerala. “I believe they may have taken this decision while experiencing an extreme state of emotional and psychological distress,” Faisal said.

“Both of them had well-paid jobs and were not facing any financial difficulties. Farhana was also involved in other activities, including vlogging, and they appeared to be happy. However, they were under considerable pressure because of the nature of their jobs. When they spoke to me about these challenges, I suggested that they seek professional therapy.

“I believe they were struggling to cope with each day and eventually reached a point where they felt they could no longer continue. Although the legal procedures will take their course, I would like to believe that they made the decision of their own accord. I do not suspect anything unusual or suspicious in the incident,” he said.

The postmortem examinations were underway at a hospital in Gurugram on Saturday. The bodies are expected to be transported to Kerala on Sunday.