Pushed to poverty by lockdown, woman and daughter kill selves

CHENNAI: A 45-year-old woman and her 14-year-old daughter committed suicide by hanging on the same saree near Keelkattalai on Tuesday. They took the extreme step as they had no income because of the lockdown, the police said.

Sources said that nearly 10 people have ended their lives due to poverty because of the continuous lockdown in the Chengalpattu district alone in the last two months. The police said that the deceased was Parvathi of Duraisammy Nagar in Keelkattalai and her daughter Shobana. Parvathi’s husband Govindasammy died five years ago and she was living with her father Selvaraj (78). The police said that Selvaraj and Parvathi’s sister were supporting them financially.

From the end of March, Parvathi could not go for any work and her income was cut off.

Police sources said that Parvathi thought herself as a burden to her father and sister as she and her daughter were dependent on them completely. Dejected over this, she did not speak with anyone. On Monday evening, Selvaraj tried to reach Parvathi over the phone but there was no response from her for a long time. Soon, Selvaraj, who visited Parvathi’s house, found it was locked from inside. On suspicion, with the help of neighbours, he broke open the door found Parvathi and Sobana hanging on the same saree.

The Madipakkam police, who arrived at the spot and retrieved the bodies, sent them for post-mortem examination to Chromepet government hospital.

e-Pass rejected, man die by suicide A 26-year-old man died by suicide in his house near Kancheepuram on Monday, reportedly dejected that he was not issued an e-pass to meet his pregnant wife in Chennai.

Vigneshwaran of Mangaliamman Koil Street in Kancheepuram, a wage worker, got married to Roja from Chennai last June. With her due date just a few days away, Vigneshwaran had applied for an e-pass to travel to Chennai. But his application was rejected on Monday.

Apparently dejected by this, Vigneshwaran hanged himself in his room. Police said one of his friends who came to the house noticed his body and alerted the neighbours and the police. His body was sent to Kancheepuram government hospital for autopsy.

Sources said that nearly 10 people have ended their lives due to poverty because of the continuous lockdown in the Chengalpattu district alone in the last two months