WhatsApp chat claims lives of married man, girlfriend

Chatting on WhatsApp claimed the lives of a married man and his girlfriend during the last two days here, police said on Sunday.

Shiva Kumar (27) committed suicide on Saturday after his wife chided him for continuously chatting with his friend Venella on WhatsApp and threatened to complain to the family elders.

Unable to bear the trauma of Shiva Kumar's death, Venella (19) consumed acid on Saturday. She succumbed at the government-run Gandhi Hospital on Sunday, police said.

The Saturday incident occurred in Maredpally in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad.

According to an official at Maredpally police station, Shiva Kumar ended his life by hanging himself when he was alone in his house. He did this after his wife Lahari took him to task for continuously chatting with his friend, a resident of the same neighbourhood.

They had married last month but Shiva Kumar, an electrician, remained in touch with his childhood friend over phone. Lahari had repeatedly asked her husband to stop chatting with Venella.

After learning about Shiva Kumar's suicide, Venella slipped into depression. With locals blaming her for his death, she consumed acid and succumbed while undergoing treatment.

--IANS

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