Suspected poisoning: Three of family dead in Chennai

CHENNAI: A woman, her two children and their pet were found dead in their Thiru Vi Ka Nagar residence on Saturday in a suspected case of poisoning. The woman's husband was rescued from the second floor of the building with deep wounds to the wrists.
The deceased were identified as Bhavani, 40, daughter Devadharshini, 17, and son Pragadish, 17. Bhavani's husband Palani, 46, is a plumber.His father Shanmugam who lives in the same building went to his son's house at 7am and found their pet dead.
"When he knocked on the door, Palani said he would bring material to remove the dog. However, he didn't turn up till 1pm. So Shanmugam went to the house again and found his daughter-in-law and her children unconscious. He went to the second floor where Palani had his office and found him unconscious," an officer said.
Palani is said to be critical. Inquiries revealed that Palani was in a lot of debt. "It is not clear if Palani poisoned his family members without their knowledge or whether it was a collective decision to end their lives," said a senior officer.