In one incident that has left a family in a state of collapse and a community in mourning, a 42-year-old bank employee died by suicide in Bengaluru just after her husband died from a toxic gas leak at their home. The couple has been married for 21 years, and they have left a 19-year-old son who is currently mourning the loss of both parents.
The Silent Killer: Carbon Monoxide
The tragedy started on the night of Friday, February 6 when Raju, a driver by trade, entered the bathroom of their rented house in Nelamangala for a shower. Police say the bathroom did not have adequate ventilation. Inside, the gas geyser released carbon monoxide an odorless, colorless, lethal gas.
After 30 minutes, when Raju did not come out, his son turned suspicious and alerted the neighbors. The two broke the door and found Raju unconscious; he was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
‘I Can’t Live Without Him’
Meena Raju was at a private bank and was told about the incident at her office. Disappointed and distraught, she hurried toward their home. But instead of going home, she stopped at a plot in Jakkasandra where the couple were building their dream house. On Saturday morning, her body was discovered dangling from a tree on the construction site.
The police found a detailed death note in which Meena described her inability to envision her life apart from her husband.
- Final Instructions: The note carefully enumerated the family’s assets and financial liabilities and asked that all assets be passed to their son.
- A Heartfelt Apology: She ended the note by requesting her son’s forgiveness saying, “I cannot live even for a single minute without your father.”
A Warning to Residents
This incident is just one of a troubling trend in Bengaluru. Since 2019, more than 50 deaths have been attributed to gas geyser leaks in and around the city, the police said. “Most result from unventilated bathrooms, where partial combustion leads to the buildup of carbon monoxide.” Reports of “unnatural death” in some sections in cases not mentioned as above have been filed with the Nelamangala Town and Madanayakanahalli police stations.
