Bengaluru: Elderly Couple Die by Suicide After Allegedly Drinking Poison Mixed with Soft Drink

An elderly couple in Bengaluru's Manjunathanagar allegedly died by suicide after consuming a poison-laced soft drink. Police said the couple, who had been battling age-related health issues, reportedly felt they had become a burden on their daughters. An investigation is underway.

A tragic incident in Bengaluru's Manjunathanagar has left a family and the local community in shock after an elderly couple allegedly died by suicide at their home. According to police, the couple had been struggling with age-related health issues and reportedly felt they had become a burden on their two daughters, despite receiving regular care and financial support from them. The incident has once again highlighted the emotional and psychological challenges faced by many elderly people coping with declining health and increasing dependence on others.

Couple Allegedly Consumed Poison Mixed in a Soft Drink

The deceased have been identified as Eshwar Achari, 77, and his wife, Gouri, 64, residents of Manjunathanagar under the Basaveshwara Nagar police station limits.

According to officials, the incident occurred late on Wednesday night. It came to light on Thursday morning when the couple's house help arrived for work and found them unresponsive.

Police said the couple had allegedly consumed poison mixed with a soft drink before going to bed. They are believed to have died in their sleep.

Health Issues and Growing Dependence

Eshwar Achari and Gouri had worked as goldsmiths for several years. However, they had stopped working because of age-related health conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma. The couple lived in a leased house in Manjunathanagar.

They are survived by two daughters, both of whom are married and live separately.

According to police, the daughters had arranged for a house help to assist their parents with daily activities and provided them with monthly financial support. They also ensured that their parents underwent regular medical check-ups and visited them frequently.

Injury Reportedly Led to Depression

Police said Gouri had recently suffered a fall and sustained a back injury, after which the couple reportedly became increasingly depressed.

Investigators believe they were deeply distressed about having to depend on their daughters financially to meet their daily expenses and medical needs.

On Wednesday night, they allegedly mixed poison with a soft drink, consumed it and died in their sleep.

Incident Came to Light the Next Morning

When the house help arrived on Thursday morning, she found the couple unresponsive and immediately informed their daughters.

After reaching the house, the daughters discovered that their parents had died. Police later inspected the scene and recovered the bottle containing the poisoned soft drink.

Officials confirmed that no suicide note was found at the scene.

A case of unnatural death (UDR) has been registered at the Basaveshwara Nagar Police Station, and further investigation is underway.

(Suicide is never a solution. Seek help from mental-health professionals. If you ever experience such thoughts, please call the ‘DISHA’ helpline. Toll-free helpline numbers: 1056, 0471-2552056)