Visakhapatnam: A 34-year-old woman and her 52-year-old mother died by suicide on Sunday after jumping into a well near Ragolu village in Srikakulam district, dejected over the tragic death of the woman's 11-year-old daughter just days earlier.
The deceased were identified as E Varalaxmi (34) and her mother Savitramma (52), also known as Saraswati.
It may be recalled that Varalaxmi's daughter, E Purna Chandrika (11), was found dead under suspicious circumstances near a church in the Gnanapuram locality under the Kancharapalem police station limits in Visakhapatnam city a few days ago. Police registered a case and launched an investigation into the girl's death.
Preliminary findings suggested that Chandrika, a native of Denkada mandal in Vizianagaram district, had reportedly been suffering from psychological issues in recent weeks. Hoping that prayers would offer relief, Varalaxmi and Savitramma brought the child to a church in Visakhapatnam on April 24. However, they were informed that no prayer sessions were being conducted at that time.
When Chandrika reportedly began screaming and behaving violently, Varalaxmi and Savitramma tried to calm her by tying a scarf around her face, which tragically led to her strangulation and death. Acting on a complaint filed by Chandrika's father, E Malleswara Rao, police began an investigation.
Overcome with grief and allegedly slipping into depression, Varalaxmi and Savitramma ended their lives. Srikakulam district police retrieved their bodies from the well and sent them for post-mortem.