Kolkata: An elderly couple from Salt Lake, who had been suffering from prolonged illnesses, was found dead in their bed on Thursday morning, with froth around their mouths. Their son and daughter-in-law had been away for a day.Although no suicide note was found, police found two empty bottles of insecticide in the house and suspect the couple drank the poison. An unnatural death case has been registered, and the bodies have been sent for postmortem examination to ascertain the exact cause and time of death.Neighbours said the couple — Sajal Kumar Kundu (64) and his wife Ranjana (61) — had been living on the first floor of the two-storey rented house for nearly 30 years. Police said they learnt from family members that Ranjana had been battling cancer while Sajal suffered from multiple ailments and had been struggling with depression.According to police, the couple’s son, Siddhratha (37), and daughter-in-law had gone to Madhyamgram, to the latter’s parental home, on Wednesday. “The son told us he had been trying to call his parents since Thursday morning but they were not answering. He then requested a friend to check on them. However, repeated knocks on the door went unanswered. The son then returned home to find them dead,” said an officer. Siddhartha subsequently alerted Bidhannagar North Police Station. The bodies were initially taken to Bidhannagar Sub-Divisional Hospital, where they were declared brought dead. They were then sent to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital for postmortem examination.“Circumstantial evidence suggests the couple may have consumed poison. However, we are awaiting the postmortem report to confirm the exact cause and time of death,” the officer said.Neighbours said Sajal ran a catering business while his son worked as a driver. Police said they are checking if the family had any financial distress.“They were a good family. The woman mostly stayed indoors and we interacted more with the man. It’s a shocking incident,” said Santanu Chatterjee, a neighbour. The Kundus were originally from Durga Charan Mitra Street in Sovabazar. Santanu Ghosh, a childhood friend of Sajal’s, recalled him as an amicable, cheerful man with a strong will. “We always knew him as a resilient person. We were aware of his wife’s illness. But I don’t know what drove him to take such a drastic step. Police should examine every possible angle and conduct a thorough investigation,” Ghosh said.
