Mandya (Karnataka), March 9 – A couple is alleged to have strangled their two-year-old child and subsequently committed suicide following a reported family dispute in the K.R. Pete town of Mandya district on Monday. However, the toddler survived the attempt and has been admitted to a hospital for treatment.
The deceased have been identified as Darshan and Divyashree, residents of Hosakote village. The couple had married approximately three years ago and were living in a rented house in the Jayanagar locality of K. R. Pete along with their two-year-old child.
Police said that the exact reason behind the couple's decision is yet to be determined. Initial reports suggest that the extreme step may have been taken due to ongoing family disputes.
According to preliminary police information, the couple allegedly attempted to kill their child before taking the extreme step. They reportedly strangled the toddler, leaving the child unconscious. Believing that the child had died, the couple subsequently hanged themselves inside their house.
However, after the couple died, the child began breathing again and survived, which relatives described as a miraculous escape.
The child was later shifted to a hospital where treatment is currently underway.
The tragic incident has left both families devastated, with relatives mourning the loss of the couple while expressing relief that the child survived.
The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of the K. R. Pete Town Police Station in Mandya district. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.
It may be recalled that a woman allegedly killed her two children before dying by suicide in Mysuru district on November 1, 2025, police said. The incident occurred at Bettadapura in Periyapatna taluk of the district.
According to police, Arabiya Bhanu, who was in her 20s, allegedly slit the throats of her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter and her 10-day-old infant, also a girl, before taking her own life.
Preliminary investigations revealed that her husband works at a mall in Bengaluru, while she was staying with the children at her residence in Bettadapura.
In another incident, a couple allegedly killed their two minor children, following which the husband died by suicide on the outskirts of Bengaluru on September 14, 2025. The wife also reportedly attempted suicide but was rescued by neighbours.
The deceased were identified as Shiva Kumar alias Shivu, his daughter Chandrakala, 11, and son Uday Surya, 7. Shivu’s wife, Manjula, 30, has been taken into police custody for further investigation. The family lived in Gonakanahalli village in Bengaluru Rural district.
A police officer said that Manjula and Shivu had an inter-caste marriage, owing to which their families had avoided them. He further said that Shivu used to work in a private firm but lost his job after meeting with an accident a few months ago.