Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady

Beltangady, May 12: In a tragic incident, a woman reportedly consumed an excessive amount of sleeping pills due to financial problems and health issues, resulting in her death, while her son is in critical condition and undergoing treatment at a hospital. The incident took place on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Kalyani (96), wife of the late Kunjiraman Nair and a resident of Kooluru in Mundaje village. Her son, Jayaram K (58), a well-known folk artiste and teacher, is in critical condition and has been shifted to Wenlock District Hospital in Mangaluru for advanced treatment.

Neighbours noticed that there was no activity in Kalyani and Jayaram’s house and decided to check on them. They found the mother and son lying unconscious in front of the prayer room. Upon breaking open the door and entering the house, the villagers discovered both were still breathing.

They were immediately rushed to a private hospital in Ujire for treatment. Kalyani, who was in the intensive care unit, breathed her last on the evening of May 12. As Jayaram's condition worsened, he was shifted to Mangaluru for further treatment.

A four-page letter, reportedly written by Jayaram and found at the spot where his mother was lying, revealed that they had consumed sleeping pills due to debt-related issues and his own health problems. The letter stated that no efforts should be made to save them.

It is said that Kalyani had been bedridden for the past four years due to age-related ailments, and Jayaram had been her sole caregiver. The letter allegedly mentions that Jayaram chose to die along with his mother as he feared there would be no one to care for her after his death.

However, it remains unclear whether Jayaram first gave the pills to his mother and then consumed them himself, or whether they both took them together.

Jayaram was a renowned artiste, playwright, folk art promoter, and painting teacher. He had won several state-level awards and had been running a tuition centre called Kalakunch Arts in Mundaje for the past 26 years.