ALAPPUZHA: A senile man who tried committing suicide after killing his wife died on Friday. Ponnappan Varghese (75) of Thirvambady died yesterday at 4 am in the morning while undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit of the Alappuzha Medical College Hospital.

Ponnappan tried to commit suicide by consuming poison and also bruised his veins to ensure death. On Thursday around 1.30 pm, Ponnappan and his wife were found dead in a pool of blood inside their house. According to reports, Ponnappan brutally tortured and killed his wife Lizzy after thrashing her head. The incident happened while his son and daughter-in-law were on a visit to the hospital. According to the police, a sudden mental trigger led to the crime.

On Thursday afternoon, a delivery boy arrived with lunch ordered by his son for his parents, but the door remained locked. The relatives living close by came for assistance and opened the grill of the kitchen door only to see the aged couple lying in a pool of blood.

The police arrived and both were taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Lizzy was pronounced dead at the hospital. After the post-mortem procedure at Alappuzha Medical College, the dead bodies were handed over and later buried at the Latin church cemetery in Vazhicherry at 3 pm.

Ponnappan's Son Vinay P. Varghese and daughter-in-law Meethu are Federal Bank officials. Alappuzha South Police has registered a case. Ponnappan, who had to live away from his family during the COVID period, later started showing mental imbalance and the family was also concerned with the change. A few days before, Ponnappan tried to lasso his wife to death while she was repairing the sewing machine.