Woman allegedly strangles daughter before hanging herself

JOHOR BAHRU: A woman suffering from cancer was found hanged at her house in Skudai on Thursday night after she had allegedly strangled her 10-yearold daughter to death, according to police.

Johor Bahru North District Police deputy chief Supt Beh Eng Lai said the bodies of J. Sumathi, 45, and K. Arthhinee were found by Sumathi’s husband T. Krishakumar at about 10 pm after he returned home to Taman Skudai Indah from work.

Their two older children had also returned home at about the same time after having gone to a shopping mall in Tampoi to buy school items, Beh said in a statement yesterday.

Hospital staff who examined the bodies said Sumathi and Arthhinee had died about three hours earlier, at about 7 pm, he said.

He said Sumathi was found hanged in the gym room on the ground floor while Arthhinee’s body, with strangulation marks, was found on the first floor.

Beh said one of the children had tried to telephone Sumathi several times at about 7 pm but the calls went unanswered.

When Krishakumar and the children returned home, they found the front door locked and they had to use a spare key to open it, he said, adding that they found the bodies of Sumathi and Arthhinee.

Beh said an investigation found that Sumathi was suffering from stage-four cancer and had often complained to the family that she did not want to live anymore.

He said the bodies were sent to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital.