Bangalore:
An argument over a gambling habit between an elderly couple late on Saturday night resulted in the suicide of the husband and hospitalisation of the wife. 56-year-old Prathima, wife of Shanthakumar (65), was to fly to Los Angeles last night to take care of her pregnant daughter, but fate had other plans.
On Saturday night, she and Shanthakumar had an argument and he slammed her head against a wall in their house in Basaveshwaranagar. Prathima collapsed to the floor bleeding profusely from a head injury. Fearing he had killed his wife, Shanthakumar hanged himself from the fan in the drawing room.
According to the Basaveshwaranagar police, the incident came to light at around 9 am yesterday when their housemaid arrived to do the chores. Kaveri peeped through the window after no one answered the door despite repeatedly knocking, and saw Shanthakumar hanging from the fan. She immediately informed the couple's son Rakshith, who stays on the first floor of the same building. He rushed downstairs to be greeted by the chilling sight.
Rakshith found his mother in a pool of blood, but still breathing and informed the police while rushing her to NIMHANS, where her condition is stated to be critical, the police informed.
"Prathima runs a beauty parlour near Bashyam Circle in Rajaji Nagar. As her elder daughter Nirmitha is pregnant, she was scheduled to go to the US last night," a police officer said.
Inquiries revealed that the deceased had served in the Bangalore University for over four decades. The couple did not share a cordial relationship as Shanthakumar was allegedly addicted to horse racing, which caused frequent fights between the couple. Their fights had also forced their son to move to the first floor.
The police said that a few months ago the couple had a fight and the cops had to intervene in the matter, following which Prathima had filed a harassment complaint against her husband.
The exact reason for the incident is yet to be ascertained and the police are awaiting the recovery of Prathima to record her version.