Sampigehalli elderly woman died of heart attack before husband's suicide, say police

An investigation into the deaths of an elderly couple in Sampigehalli, Bengaluru, has revealed that 77-year-old Sumitra Devi likely died of a heart attack, after which her 85-year-old husband, Shivanandan Prasad, died by suicide out of grief. The bodies of the couple were discovered on Tuesday morning around 6:00 AM by their son, Kiran Kumar Kashyap, inside his apartment. The new findings counter initial police suspicions of a murder-suicide.

Prior to the development, local police suspected that Prasad had smothered his wife to death before ending his own life by hanging from the window grills of the room. However, the ongoing investigation suggests that Devi died due to a medical emergency, and her husband took the extreme step after being unable to bear the grief of her sudden passing.

The couple had traveled to Bengaluru just a few days prior to the incident to stay with their son. Kashyap, who works as a senior supervisor in a security agency, lived in the Sampigehalli flat with his wife, daughter, and son. At the time of the tragedy, Kashyap’s wife and son were out of station to attend a relative's wedding.

According to family details, both of the deceased had been suffering from age-related health issues. Devi reportedly suffered from eye and ear-related ailments, while Prasad had been suffering from heart ailments.

Kashyap discovered his parents' bodies in the room early Tuesday morning. Following the discovery, the Bengaluru police shifted both bodies to a local facility for a postmortem examination.

Senior police officials have stated that the official postmortem report is still awaited. Investigators emphasized that the exact cause of Devi's death will only be formally confirmed after they receive and review the official medical reports.