Man Pours Poison Into Wife's Ears, Attempts To Kill Children In Suicide Pact

In a horrific incident, a couple in India tried to force-feed poison to their two children before killing themselves as part of a suicide pact.

The father, identified as P Velmurugan, 37, was a driver but he was unemployed for the last few months. He used to fight regularly with his mother for scolding his wife unnecessarily. On the day of the incident, the man got upset after an altercation with his mom and decided to end his life, the Times of India reported. His wife supported the plan.

The man first poured poison into his ears and then into his wife's. They tried to feed the poison to the children forcibly. The kids managed to escape and alerted the villagers, a police source told the Times of India. They were rushed to a hospital.

The couple was already dead by the time police arrived at their home. The bodies were sent for an autopsy to confirm the cause of death. The incident took place Tuesday night in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

"The boy, whose condition is critical, is admitted to a private hospital, while the girl is undergoing treatment in the government hospital in Attur," another officer told the Times of India.

The two children were identified as 13-year-old Abinaya and 11-year-old Sanjay.

Last month, a man in India strangled his 5-year-old girl to death suspecting his wife of having an extramarital affair. The accused was identified as Shailesh Padhiyar. Police said that on the day of the incident, the father took his child to a field and told her to sit near a canal. He then tore the belt from the dress she was wearing and strangled her with it.

He returned home and pretended to search for his daughter. Police later found that the man killed his daughter.

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.