A 35-year-old man allegedly gave his four-year-old son a soft drink mixed with poison before consuming poison himself after a dispute with his wife in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district, police said on Saturday.
The incident took place in Govindpur Shakarpur village under the Kithore police station limits. The deceased have been identified as Kapil, a resident of Rahdara village, and his son Krishna, also known as Laddu.
According to police, Kapil had married Kajal, a resident of Govindpur Shakarpur, around five years ago. The couple had two children.
Police said Kajal had stayed back at her parents’ home after her sister’s wedding on July 3. When Kapil came to take her home the next day, she asked for a few more days to help her family, which led to an argument between the couple.
On Friday, Kapil again visited his in-laws’ house to bring his wife back. Police said another argument broke out after Kajal again refused to return immediately. According to the preliminary investigation, Kapil later allegedly mixed poison in a soft drink and made his four-year-old son drink it.
The child fell seriously ill and was rushed to a hospital, but died on the way. Police said Kapil then allegedly consumed poison himself. He was admitted to a hospital in critical condition and died during treatment early on Saturday.
Kithore Station House Officer Subodh Kumar Saxena said the matter is under investigation. Police are questioning members of both families to understand the exact sequence of events. Further legal action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
(With Inputs from PTI)