Deaths of Congress leader, son in Wayanad; police probe launched

Wayanad: An investigation has been launched into the deaths of a local Congress leader and his son, who allegedly consumed poison on Friday, police confirmed.

The deceased have been identified as N M Vijayan, 78, treasurer of the Wayanad District Congress Committee (DCC) and former president of the Sultan Bathery panchayat, and his 38-year-old son, Jijesh. Both father and son passed away at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital, where they had been receiving treatment.

According to police, further action will follow after the postmortem, which is scheduled for Saturday. Family sources indicated that the cremation would take place at 5 pm on the same day at their residence in Sultan Bathery.

Vijayan and Jijesh were discovered in critical condition at their home by neighbors on Tuesday, after allegedly ingesting poison. They were initially admitted to a private hospital before being transferred to Kozhikode Medical College for further treatment. Jijesh succumbed to his condition at 6:30 pm on Friday, followed by Vijayan at 9:30 pm, as per police sources.

While police suspect the deaths may have been a suicide, no suicide note was found during a search of their home, officials stated.

Vijayan was a prominent figure in the Congress party in Wayanad. His son, Jijesh, had been bedridden for an extended period due to health issues. Following the death of his wife, Suma, Vijayan had been caring for Jijesh. He is survived by his elder son, Vijesh, according to family sources.

With PTI inputs