Kerala man attacks wife at post office, shoots himself dead

Idukki, Oct 30
A 42-year-old man attacked his wife with an iron rod at her workplace before shooting himself dead with a revolver outside the post office at Kuzhitholu in Kerala's Idukki district on Friday morning.

The woman, Sreeja, 35, a temporary employee at the Kuzhitholu post office, suffered serious head injuries in the attack and is undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Kattappana.

Her condition is reported to be critical.

The deceased, identified as Santhosh, 42, a native of Idukki, reached the post office carrying an iron rod soon after his wife reached the office in the morning.

A heated argument reportedly broke out between the couple inside the office.

During the argument, Santhosh allegedly took the iron rod and struck Sreeja repeatedly on the head, leaving her seriously injured.

Her screams alerted people in the neighbourhood, who rushed to the post office.

Seeing people approaching, Santhosh came out of the building and fired a shot at his own head using a revolver he was carrying. He died on the spot.

Local residents and police rushed Sreeja to a private hospital in Kattappana.

She was admitted to the intensive care unit and is being treated for serious head injuries.

According to the preliminary assessment of the police, the incident followed prolonged domestic disputes between the couple.

Investigators suspect that Santhosh may have planned the attack in advance.

A police examination of the weapon revealed that the revolver did not have a licence.

The police have launched an investigation to establish how Santhosh obtained the firearm and whether anyone else was involved in procuring it.

The Kattappana police registered a case and initiated an investigation.

Santhosh's body was shifted to the taluk hospital mortuary for post-mortem examination after the inquest proceedings.

The attack at a public workplace and the subsequent shooting outside the post office triggered shock in the locality.

The couple was not having the best of relations for the past two years, and divorce proceedings had started.