Financial crisis suspected; Father allegedly poisons teen son, wife, mother before hanging self

Mysuru: Four members of a family were found dead at their apartment in Vishveshwaranagar, coming under Vidyaranyapuram Police limits, this morning. The deceased have been identified as G.M. Chethan (46), his wife S. Rupali (42), their son G.C. Kushal (16) and Chethan’s mother Priyamvada (65).

Preliminary investigations suggest that Chethan, facing severe financial difficulties, allegedly poisoned his family before hanging himself.

Chethan, a mechanical engineer, who ran a labour agency sending workers from India to Saudi Arabia, faced a significant downturn in business following COVID-19 pandemic when there was a travel ban.

Unable to recover from the financial crisis, he reportedly left a death note explaining the reasons behind the tragic decision.

While the Police have recovered the death note, its contents have not been disclosed.

Temple visit

Kushal, a 10th standard student, had taken his English exam on Saturday and was preparing for his Science exam scheduled for Thursday. The family had visited a temple at Gorur in Hassan on Sunday and returned to their apartment, where the incident occurred.

Before the tragedy, Chethan reportedly messaged his brother Bharat, who lives in the USA, informing him of their decision to end their lives and asking for forgiveness. Bharat, sensing trouble, immediately alerted relatives and friends to check on the family. Rupali’s family members also rushed to the apartment, but it was too late.

City Police Commissioner Seema Latkar, along with DCP S. Jahnavi and Vidyaranyapuram Inspector Mohit, visited the scene to gather information.

Chethan, after completing his mechanical engineering course, worked in Riyadh for some years before shifting to Mysuru after marriage. He again shifted with family to Riyadh where he worked for six years and came back to Mysuru due to COVID.

Police Commissioner Seema Latkar confirmed that the family resided in two flats within the apartment building. She added that the family had visited Rupali’s parents in Aravindanagar the previous day for lunch before returning home. Chethan is basically from Gorur in Hassan, while his wife is from Mysuru.

When asked about the cause of death, Seema Latkar said that the Forensic Science Laboratory and Scene of Crime Officer’s (SOCO) team are ascertaining and she would be able to brief only after getting their opinion.

The four bodies have been shifted to Mysore Medical College and Research Institute (MMC&RI) mortuary for post-mortem, which will be conducted after Chethan’s brother arrives from the USA.

Vidyaranyapuram Police have registered a case and are investigating.