Farmer, daughter die in murder-suicide bid in Khammam; son critical

A 44-year-old farmer allegedly poisoned himself and his two children at a leased farm in NTR district. He and his 14-year-old daughter died, while his 10-year-old son was shifted to Hyderabad in critical condition. The motive remains unknown

Khammam: In a murder-cum-suicide bid in Nelakondapally mandal of the district, a farmer and his daughter died while his son is battling for life.

The deceased, Pusuluri Srinivasa Rao (44) of Appala Narasimhapuram in the mandal, was cultivating a land which he took on lease at Gandrai village of NTR district in Andhra Pradesh.

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On Wednesday morning, he took his daughter Lasya (14) and his ten-year-old son Nikhil to his farm at Gandrai where he consumed a cool drink laced with poison and offered the same drink to his two children.

Srinivasa Rao called his brother-in-law, informed him that he had consumed herbicide and immediately switched off his phone. Alarmed, the brother-in-law alerted relatives, villagers and police, who launched a search for him.

The locals, assisted by the police, traced the three and immediately rushed them to a private hospital in Khammam. Srinivasa Rao died within 15 to 20 minutes after being admitted to the hospital and his daughter too succumbed to the poison after some time.

As Nikhil’s condition turned critical, he was shifted to a private hospital in Hyderabad for advanced medical care. A pall of gloom has descended upon Appala Narasimhapuram village following the incident and the reason for Srinivasa Rao’s extreme step are not yet known.