Couple Dies In Suicide Pact, Newborn Baby Abandoned At Home

KEY POINTS

Authorities found a dead couple at their home, following what seemed like a suicide pact
The couple's 20-day-old baby girl was also found in poor health at the residence
The family faced financial issues and had been unable to pay their rent for months
Authorities have given custody of the deceased couple's infant daughter to government child care services

A 20-day-old baby girl in the Indian state of Kerala was found abandoned at her family's home earlier this week, following the apparent suicides of her parents.

The child's parents, identified as Shiju Stephen and his wife, Pramila, aged 45 and 37, respectively, were discovered dead at their home located in the Kavalakulam area of Neyyattinkara Monday, India Today reported.

Stephen was found lying on the floor, while Pramila was hanging from a ceiling fan. The couple's infant daughter was also found in poor health at the residence.

Police learned of the incident after the child's home nurse came to the family's apartment and reported the scene to the landlord.

The family faced financial issues as Stephen owed a "sizeable sum" of money to several companies, a police source was cited as saying by The New Indian Express.

"Shiju used to be a successful building contractor but his personal issues, especially his relationship with [Pramila], affected his business. While he was trying to get things together, the pandemic struck. Since then, his financial condition had been on the decline," the source said.

The family was reportedly unable to pay their rent for the past four months due to their financial situation.

Additionally, they were also unable to pay the home nurse, whom they hired to take care of their newborn.

Authorities have since given custody of the deceased couple's infant daughter to the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare.

A similar incident happened in the state of Meghalaya last September when a man murdered his wife and killed himself, which resulted in the couple's 6-month-old daughter being abandoned.

The child was found alive next to the bodies of Bose Kharbani and Rosemary Lyngkhoi, aged 25 and 26, respectively, at the family's home in West Khasi Hills District on Sept. 21.

The alleged murder weapon was also found at the scene.

The girl was taken to a hospital for a medical examination before being handed over to her relatives.

A preliminary investigation revealed that Kharbani killed Lyngkhoi with a knife before hanging himself.

The motive behind the alleged murder-suicide was unclear.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.