Debt stress drives Mandya man to kill family, end life

Mandya: A shocking family tragedy has come to light in Mandya district, where three members of a family were found dead under suspicious circumstances in the early hours of Tuesday. Preliminary investigations indicate that financial distress and mounting debts may have driven the head of the family to take the extreme step.

The deceased have been identified as Prabhakar, 65, his wife Jyothi, 55, and their son Santosh, 30. According to police sources, the incident occurred around 3.30am. It is alleged that Prabhakar first suffocated his wife Jyothi and later his son Santosh, before ending his own life by hanging himself at his clothing shop.

Sources said Jyothi was suffocated while she was asleep. Santosh reportedly entered the room during the incident and was also killed in the same room. He had been married for only one and a half months. The daughter-in-law, who was asleep at the time, was unaware of the events. The deaths came to light in the morning when she prepared breakfast and went to wake her mother-in-law, only to discover the bodies. The matter was immediately reported to police.

A death note allegedly written by Prabhakar was recovered from the scene. In the note, he cited severe financial difficulties, accumulated debts, and pressure from lenders as the reasons behind his actions. The family depended on a clothing business for their livelihood, and Prabhakar is said to have been under considerable stress due to declining business and his inability to repay loans.

The note also reportedly mentioned harassment by private finance companies and concerns over mounting interest payments. Mandya East police have registered a case and launched a detailed investigation to ascertain the exact sequence of events and verify the contents of the note.