by reciprocal arrangement with Star of Mysore

Mysore, Jan 6: The City and surrounding villages woke up to a tragic news this morning. A family of four was found dead in a car parked in a field near Yelwal near here.

It appears Govindaraju (38), a KSRTC bus driver of Mysore Depot, first administered Pepsi laced with poison to his daughter Kavyashri (9) and his son Aswath Gowda (7), whose bodies were found lying in the back seat of Premier 118 NE.

Later, Govindaraju and his wife Vasantha (32) might have consumed poison. Govindaraju's body was found leaning over the steering wheel with his wife's body lying beside him.

Govindaraju was a resident of Yelwal. He had taken the car from his friend Manju of Maidanahalli on Wednesday evening under the pretext of visiting Chamundi Hill and KRS. It was parked outside his house on Wednesday night.

He went to his father-in-law Puttegowda's house in the nearby Chikkanahalli yesterday morning to inform that his family would be visiting Chamundi Hill. He had also promised to bring his family for a stay at Chikkanahalli in the night.

The family, however, did not visit Chikkanahalli last night.

It is not known when the victims committed suicide. Some passersby grew suspicious when they found the car parked in the field belonging to Govindaraju's father-in-law with none around.

They called other villagers when they saw the bodies through the car's windscreens.

Mysore Rural Police Inspector Kantharaju and staff rushed to the spot and shifted the bodies for postmortem to the Yelwal Primary Health Centre (PHC).

As the PHC lacked the facility, the Police shifted the bodies to K.R. Hospital. Yelwal Police are investigating.

Some claim that Govindaraju's car was seen passing through the railway level-crossing on Arasikere route at around 9.30 pm yesterday.

The suicides seem to be a mystery for the villagers. They say that Govindaraju was well-mannered and it was a well-knit family. The couple never quarrelled. They maintained good relationship with their in-laws and neighbours. Govindaraju's family lived in a rented house belonging to Krishnappa.

A fan of Hindutva

Govindaraju, who committed suicide along with his wife and children, was an ardent fan of Hindutva.

He erected a huge flex board in the Yelwal bus stand on Wednesday, calling people to participate in the Virat Hindu Samavesha being held in city from Jan. 7.

The flex board carries the portraits of Govindaraju, his wife and two children. A villager recalled that when someone asked Govindaraju why he had inducted the portraits of his wife and children, he defended it saying. "Let it be. They too are Gods. Is it not?"

One line note

Govindaraju has left behind a suicide note with a single sentence.

The note in Kannada found in his shirt pocket, says: "I alone am responsible for our death."

(Nanna mattu namma saavige naane karana).