The tragic events unfolded on Sunday at a lodge in Narsaraopet.
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A doctor and his wife died by suicide after administering a toxic substance to their three-year-old daughter, Mounika, who faced significant mental and physical challenges.
Dr K Gopi, an anaesthetist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal, and his wife, 30-year-old Shankara Kumari, a nurse at the same institution, succumbed to what appeared to be a severe bout of depression born from the challenges they faced as parents of a special needs child.
The tragic events unfolded on Sunday at a lodge in Narsaraopet, located in the Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh. Following the heartbreaking decision, both Mounika and Shankara were pronounced dead on Sunday, while Gopi, initially still clinging to life, passed away on Monday morning at a private hospital.
Preliminary investigation by police show that the couple resorted to the extreme step as they were depressed over the condition of their daughter.
Gopi, who hails from Satluru village in Palnadu district, and Shankara, who was from Dharmavaram in Sri Sathya Sai district, had a love marriage. They were depressed after the birth of Mounika, who was mentally and physically challenged.
Shankara and her daughter visited her parents in the native village 20 days ago. Gopi arrived from Bhopal two days ago. He called his wife and daughter to Narsaraopet on Saturday and they checked into Dinesh Grand Lodge.
Gopi sent a message and some photographs to his sister on WhatsApp on Sunday morning, informing her that they were ending their lives. She alerted other family members, who rushed to the lodge and found the trio unconscious. They were shifted to a hospital where Shankara and Mounica died while undergoing treatment.
Gopi, whose condition was critical, succumbed early on Monday morning.
Police recovered some sedatives, syringes and other material from the lodge. The bodies of the couple and their daughter were handed over to the family after post-mortem examination on Monday.
Narsaraopet police registered a case and took up further investigation.