SRIKAKULAM: While the couple along with two kids on Friday committed suicide by jumping into River Godavari at Kovvur in West Godavari district during a pilgrimage, ill health and debts were said to be the reasons for their extreme step.
Ponduru Ravi Kumar (27), Ponduru Pavani (24), Pujitha (3) and Harika (4), all residents of Narasannapeta village of Srikakulam district, on Friday evening jumped into River Godavari. The incident came to light after the locals noticed the bodies floating in the river at Gospadakshetram.
According to the villagers, Ponduru Ramanamma, mother of Ravi Kumar, was staying at Kuduru village while working as a cook in a hostel. Ravi Kumar who completed his engineering fell in love with Pavani, a resident of Kuduru village of Kotabommali mandal, and married her at Simhachalam temple against her family’s wish.
The couple was blessed with two children — Harika and Pujitha — and were staying at Satyanarayana Colony at Kotabommali. Ravi Kumar was working in a private company in Visakhapatnam. After a few years, he was diagnosed with cancer. They went to several places for treatment by taking loans. Meanwhile, his mother Ramanamma too contracted asthma and soon the family fell into debt trap. Although Ravi Kumar disposed of his house, he could not repay the loan.
A few days ago, Ravi Kumar along with his family members shifted to Narasannapeta from Visakhapatnam to stay with his mother. However, vexed with ill health and debts, Ravi Kumar and Pavani had decided to end their lives along with their two kids. In the name of pilgrimage, the family along with his mother visited Venkateswara Swamy temple in Kovvur and dropped all the gold ornaments and cash into the temple hundi prior to taking the extreme step.