Mangaluru, August 18: In a tragic incident, a young couple in Mangaluru allegedly died by suicide because they feared coronavirus (COVID-19). The couple, who had no children, were found dead in their house in a residential complex in Chitrapur on August 17. Both tested negative for COVID-19 during postmortem. The deceased are 45-year-old Ramesh Suvarna and his wife Guna, aged 35. Uttar Pradesh: Couple Found Hanging From Tree in Kasganj, No Suicide Note Found.

Minutes before taking the extreme step, according to reports, Ramesh sent an audio message to Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar and a few of their friends. He told them he and his wife Guna had symptoms of COVID-19 for the past seven days. "He said his wife had taken pills at night to end her life but was not successful and had hanged herself in the morning. He said he was going to hang himself too," Shashi Kumar was quoted by TOI as saying. Andhra Pradesh Shocker: Four Of Family End Life By Jumping Into Godavari River In East Godavari District; Probe Underway.

The Commissioner received the message from Ramesh around 6:45 am and within 25 minutes police reached the couple's residence. However, it was too late. "The couple suspected they were COVID-positive. They were in trauma as they did not have kids and suffered from other health issues as well. I tried to convince him not to take the step and he dropped the call," he said.

Cops also recovered a suicide note, believed to be written by Guna. In the suicide note, Guna said the couple had fears of COVID-19 and blackfungus. Her father and mother had contracted COVID-19 infection. Ramesh, a native of Padubidri, married Guna in 2000. After two years of thier marriage, Guna had delivered a baby who a few days after dttelivery.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 18, 2021 02:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).