Man follows wife in suicide, kid orphaned

A 28-year-old man hanged himself at his residence in Virugambakkam on Sunday about nine months after his wife had committed suicide.

The couple’s one-year-old son Sundar, who had lost his mother Shailaja (25) when he was three months old, has been orphaned.

Police said Babu (28), a painter by profession, took this drastic step on Sunday evening when he was alone in his room. He was reportedly inconsolable after his wife’s death and often remained depressed and withdrawn.

His father Mani reportedly checked on his son who had not come out of the room even after repeated calls from him. Babu was found hanging from the ceiling.

Nine months ago, Shailaja had committed suicide in a similar fashion following a domestic dispute. Ever since, Babu had turned to alcohol and was mostly seen depressed.

On information, Virugambakkam police rushed to the spot and recovered the body of the deceased and sent it for an autopsy. After post mortem, the body was handed over to Babu’s relatives on Monday.

Inspector Sachindhanandham said that Babu was not keeping well after his wife’s death and could have chosen to end his life. A case had been registered and investigations were on.