Kottayam: A 42-year-old woman and her two daughters, aged 11 and 10, were found dead on the railway tracks near Ettumanoor in Kerala's Kottayam district early Friday (February 28).

The victims were identified as Shiny Kuriakose and her daughters Aleena and Ivana, both students of the Holy Cross School in Thellakom.

According to a report by India Today, the police believe the three died by suicide after jumping in front of a train around 5:30 am. Their bodies, severely disfigured, were sent to Kottayam Medical College for post-mortem.

What did the investigation reveal?

As per the report, the preliminary investigation points to family disputes as a possible reason for the suspected suicide. Shiny, who had been separated from her husband for the past nine months, left home with her daughters Friday morning, informing her relatives that they were going to the church. The family later learned about their tragic deaths.

Shiny also has a 14-year-old son, Edwin, a Class 9 student at the Ernakulam Sports School. Police are continuing their investigation to uncover the full circumstances behind the incident.

Surge in similar cases over the months

In recent months, several similar tragedies have been reported. In Kerala’s Thrissur, senior civil police officer Ramesh Babu died by suicide after stepping in front of a train.

On December 7, 2024, a 34-year-old man named Anbu from Tamil Nadu ended his life by jumping onto the tracks while on a video call with his mother and children, reportedly due to marital problems.

Earlier in 2024, two teenagers, Ananthu and Meenakshi, were found dead on the railway tracks in Kollam, Kerala, after alleged family opposition to their relationship.