Silvester D'Souza

Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Mar 16: A couple attempted suicide by consuming lethal poisonous substance early in the morning near the seashore at Kody here on Sunday March 15. People, who saw the duo struggling for survival at the beach, rushed them to the government hospital here. But the condition of both of them is said to be critical.

The twosome, who tried to end their lives together, has been identified as Ramesh Kumar (45), resident of Hanumanth Nagar Bengaluru, and his neighbour Pavitra (32). Both are married and have children, and they are said to be madly in love with one another. Ramesh has two children while Pavitra has two young children. Pavitra's husband Lokesh, runs car on hire. Ramesh too owns a car which he operates on rent. Both live in the same area and had become friends. In course of time, Ramesh and Pavitra fell in love with each other, and their love affair gained strength with passage of time. They reached such a stage that they found it hard to live without the company of the other. Their love affair came to the notice of both the families, which gave rise to discord. Angry over the unholy relationship his wife had with his neighbour, Lokesh is said to have left his home and gone away without informing his wife last week.

The couple, who were devastated at this development, came directly to the seashore at Kody here in the car belonging to Ramesh. They are believed to have consumed the poison they had with them early in the morning. The couple was found writhing in pain at the seashore at dawn by the locals, who admitted them into the government hospital.

As the condition of both the lovers was critical, the doctors asked them to be taken to Manipal hospital. However, as there were no family members, there was inordinate delay. In the afternoon, Pavitra's elder sister's husband came there but he took Pavitra alone in an ambulance to Wenlock Hospital Mangaluru. The people around requested him to take Ramesh, whose condition was also precarious, to Mangaluru but he refused to even look at Ramesh. Ramesh's relatives came at around nightfall and then took him to Manipal, reports said.

It may be recalled that in a similar kind of incident, two persons, both of whom were married and hailing from Chennai, had consumed poison in a bus moving to the town from Kollur. The man had died in that case, without responding to treatment. A case relating to the current incident has been filed in the town police station here.