special correspondent
Mangaluru: Mathew (36) and Manjula (27) had recently arrived from their native city of Kottayam and lived in a rented house in Datta Nagar between Bikarnakatte and Shaktinagar.
Being new faces, they were not known to many neighbours. As they had no refrigerator at home, they had made it a practice to place the milk sachets they purchased at a neighbour’s house overnight and collect them next morning.
As they did not collect the milk on Sunday morning, the neighbours went to check with them in the evening. The key of the main door was found on the lock from outside. The house-owner was informed. When the house was checked, the couple was found hanging, having used separate nooses, on the upper-floor part of the house.
The rural station police inspected the spot. A death note scribbled in Malayalam was found. It revealed that both were married to different persons and belonged to different faiths. Mathew had no children, but Manjula has a child from her marriage.
They were reportedly in love before their respective marriages. They left their homes in Kottayam and came to lead a quiet life in live-in relationship here. Mathew has asked for forgiveness from his family for having erred. Manjula, being a Hindu, has requested that her final rites be held according to the traditions of her community.
Members of both the families have arrived in the city. Both are said to be well-known families. They have decided to hold the final rites of both of them here.
The police said that they may have had left homes in a flash decision, but later suffered from a sense of guilt by worrying about their respective spouses and families back home.
Earlier report:
Couple from Kerala Living near Shaktinagar in Suicide Pact
