india

Updated: Sep 08, 2019 09:51 IST

A 45-year-old tribal woman in Odisha’s Malkangiri district committed suicide after making her two minor sons drink a soft drink laced with insecticide, her neighbours have said.

One of her sons died while the other is fighting for his life in a hospital.

Neighbours of Muka Padiami in Telrai village under Kalimela block of Malkangiri said she lost her husband four years ago and was finding it difficult to make ends meet with four children.

“She did not have any means to sustain her family. All that she received was 25 kg of rice under NFSA. But she did not get the widow allowance of Rs 500. She did not even get a house under Pradhan Mantri Grameen Awas Yojana,” said Singam Madkami, her neighbour.

Neighbours said Padiami had a heated argument her in-laws on Friday night after which she mixed poison in a soft drink and gave it to two of her sons Muna, 8, and Deba, 6, before drinking it.

Her two other children, a son and one daughter, have been living in a tribal residential hostel for some time now.

Telrai gram panchayat sarpanch Muta Sodhi said the woman might have taken the extreme step due to the family feud.

State tribal affairs minister Jagannath Saraka said he would officials to investigate why the Padiami did not get the government assistance that was due to her.

Malkangiri’s superintendent of police Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo said preliminary investigations revealed that before poisoning herself and her kids, Padiami had consumed a local alcoholic brew.

“We are still investigating the exact reason behind her suicide. The post mortem is yet to be done,” Dnyandeo said.

A case of unnatural death has been lodged with the MV-79 police station.

In June this year, another woman in Malkangiri allegedly committed suicide and poisoned her children after she found it difficult to feed them. Sita Madkami, a 35-year-old widow, had poisoned her son and daughter before killing herself. Madkami died but her children survived.

Government officials say at least 11 poverty alleviation schemes including Madhu Babu Pension Yojana, Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana, Nirman Pucca Ghar Yojana, Biju Gram Yoti Yojana, Biju Saharanchal Vidyutkaran Yojana and State Food Security Scheme are operational in the state apart from central schemes.