Indian doctor kills self under suicide pact with wife

An Indian doctor who had admitted killing his terminally ill wife under a suicide pact last month, has taken his own life, police said.

An Indian doctor who had admitted killing his terminally ill wife under a suicide pact last month, has taken his own life, police said.

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Dr Rajaeskar Sham (68), who was found dead on Tuesday in his Flower Hill residence in New York, had killed his 69-year-old wife Lucila suffering from cancer.

On Nov 11, police had found Sham in an unconscious state with stab wound on his arm, neck and abdomen and his wife dead.

Dr Sham, a retired radiologist, survived and later told the court about the suicide pact, explaining that Lucila had only weeks to live and they had entered into a suicide pact as they did not want to live without each other.

He faced charges of manslaughter and was likely to receive five years probation after the prosecutors determined that no purpose would be served by imprisoning him.

Before deciding to go ahead with the suicide plan, the couple had hired an attorney, updated their will leaving half of their estate to the University of Madras and half to the Nature Conservancy's South Fork/Shelter Island chapter.

Media reports have said that they meticulously tried to put their affairs in order before executing their plan.

The couple had no children and near relatives.

Lucila had tried to stab herself but could not inflict fatal wound and Sham helped her in the suicide before stabbing himself.