The Star, Monday April 16, 2012

Dad and son bury hatchet at heavy cost of three lives 

SERDANG: It took the lives of three family members before a father and son finally buried the hatchet. 

M. Sakunthala, 63, and her two children Manivaran, 33, and Rajeswary, 28, died after allegedly drinking milk offered by a medium at their house in Jalan Melor 2, Taman Sri Ramal in Kajang early this month.

The father, chargeman M. Karuppanan, 65, is devastated that his decision to seek the help of a “medium” to mend family ties resulted in a triple tragedy instead.

He had brought the supposedly “holy man” to their house on the night of March 31 as he had not been on talking terms with his eldest son Sargunan, 38.

“The medium came to the house and performed a ritual. He gave me, my wife, second son and my daughter blessed milk' to drink and claimed it would ease tensions in the family.

“We drank the milk and all of us passed out soon after,” he said when met outside the Serdang Hospital mortuary yesterday.

Karuppanan said the “medium” stole the family jewellery and valuables and set a gas cylinder in the kitchen ablaze before fleeing the house.

“As the fire spread, my wife and two children managed to regain consciousness. They dragged me out of the house.

“That was the last time we were all together. All three of them died after being warded at the Serdang Hospital,” he said.

It is believed the milk offered by the “medium” was laced with a weedkiller.

Rajeswary died on April 4, followed by Manivaran four days later. Sakunthala died on Saturday. Post mortem reports showed that they died from poisoning.

“Now I have my eldest son back but have lost three of my loved ones forever.

“I have known this medium' for several months but I never knew he could be capable of such a heinous crime,” said Karuppanan who cre-mated his wife yesterday afternoon.

Sargunan, who works as an electrician in Seremban, said he rushed back when he heard that his parents and siblings were admitted to the hospital.

Selangor CID chief Senior Asst Comm Mohd Adnan Abdullah said the triple murder was being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

“We take this case very seriously and are going all out to catch the suspect,” he said.