Angamaly (Kerala), April 9 (IANS): The use of a room air conditioner was the ostensible reason for an 81-year-old man to kill his wife and son on Saturday, police said.

Trouble was brewing for a while in the household of Paul, a retired railway employee, because of mounting electricity bills on account of the use of a room air conditioner by the members of the family, a police officer said.

"The electricity bill was mounting and his pension was the sole household income." 

Paul flew into a rage upon seeing his wife and son sleeping with the AC on and attacked them both with an iron rod, the police officer said. 

While his son Thomas, who was unemployed, died at the spot, his wife Mary died on the way to hospital.

After committing the crime, Paul himself called up his relatives and told them what happened. 

By the time the relatives and the police arrived at the scene, Paul was getting ready to commit suicide. 

He was prevented from taking his own life. 

The bodies have been sent for autopsy.