Man kills mother, attempts suicide due to depression and unemployment

He wrote 4 suicide letters - to his wife, daughter, senior police inspector of Worli police station and his landlord

Mumbai: A 77-year-old woman was allegedly killed by her son, who is unemployed and under pressure after defaulting on loan EMI payments. The police said that the man smothered his mother before attempting suicide and survived. He is undergoing treatment in a hospital.

Man kills mother, attempts suicide due to depression and unemployment

On Saturday afternoon, the Worli police were called in by residents who saw the duo unconscious in their house on the second floor of Shiv-Sankalp SRA Co-operative Housing Society, Gandhinagar. According to the police, the man, Balshanmugham Kuppuswami, was rushed to Wockhardt hospital, where he is currently in critical condition. His mother, Lalita Tiruganana Sambandham, was taken to BYL Nair Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.

The residents said that Sambandham lived alone in the house. Kuppuswami gave her money, and she would ask the children in the society to bring her things. “He met his mother and told her that he was depressed from not being able to pay EMI for a ₹36 lakh personal loan he had taken due to unemployment, and is unable to pay the rent for the house she was living in. He suggested that they both should die by suicide,” said the police. Lalitha attempted suicide but could not end her life, so Kuppuswami smothered her to death before harming himself.

According to the police, the man wrote four suicide notes to his wife, his 21-year-old daughter, senior police inspector of Worli police station, and Devdas Sakpal, the landlord. “The notes say that he will commit suicide along with his mother, and nobody should be blamed for it,” said a police officer.

A case has been registered under section 103 (1) (murder) of the Bhharatiya Nyana Sanhita, said Ravindra Karkat, senior police inspector at Worli police station.

The police said they are yet to record a detailed statement of Kuppuswami as he is undergoing treatment. “The family is disturbed by the events and are unable to speak to other people,” said the police officer.