Two days after boy drowns in well, father ends life

Chennai: Two days after a five-year-old boy fell into a farm well and drowned in Chengalpet (as reported in TOI on April 29), his father allegedly died by suicide. Lingam, 30, was found hanging from the steps inside the same agricultural well where his son died. On Thursday morning, the relatives and villagers went in search of him, after they discovered he was missing for several hours. He was later found dead. Police said that as his wife had exhibited suicidal tendencies, his relatives were taking care of her and had locked her inside a room. Police personnel from the Singaperumal Koil station recovered the body and sent it to the Chengalpet govt hospital for postmortem. Further investigation is underway. Lingam was a driver and resident of Chettipunniyam village near Singaperumal Koil. According to police, his son, Yuvaraj, 5, a UKG student at a Panchayat Union Middle School in the area, had died on Tuesday. The incident occurred when the child went in search of his mother, who had gone to graze goats in nearby fields. Police sources said the boy was playing with other children in the neighbourhood during the summer vacation. After the other children left for breakfast, Yuvaraj walked towards the fields. It is suspected that he slipped on the slushy surface around the well and fell in. Residents had launched a search for the boy and later noticed his toy floating in the well. His body was soon revered from the well.Assistance to overcome suicidal thoughts is available on TN's health helpline 104 and Sneha's suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.
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