NAMAKKAL: A couple was found hanging in their powerloom shed at Keeleripatti near Tiruchengode in Namakkal district on Monday, with relatives suspecting mounting debts may have driven them to take the step.The couple were identified as V Srinivasan (47) and his wife Neela (38). They had lived in Keeleripatti for 16 years and operated a six-loom weaving unit from a leased building for nearly 15 years. They are survived by son Keerthivasan (22), a mechanical engineer at a private firm in Chennai, and daughter Kaviya (19), a third-year Biomedical Engineering student at Shanmuga College.The family originally hailed from Alavaipatti in Salem district and lived in their own house in Keeleripatti.Family members said Srinivasan had returned home a day earlier after visiting his son in Chennai. Srinivasan, Neela and Kaviya had dinner together on Sunday night before retiring.Kaviya woke around 5 a.m. and, finding her parents absent, assumed they had gone to the unit. “Building owner Paramasivam alerted the family around 6 a.m. after finding the couple hanging from loom ropes,” said a police officer from the Tiruchengode town police station.Paramasivam told police he had noticed lights inside the unit around 4 a.m. but assumed the couple had started work early. When he returned and heard no activity, he checked the premises.Relatives told investigators the couple had recently spoken about financial difficulties and debt-related problems.Tiruchengode Town Inspector Gopalakrishnan and Special Sub-Inspector Marimuthu reached the scene. The bodies were sent to Tiruchengode Govt Hospital for post-mortem examination. Police registered a case and are conducting further inquiries.
