While the children’s father Lokeswaran (45) died on the way to hospital, his wife Meenakshi (40) was first admitted to the Ambur Government Hospital and from there shifted to the Vellore Government Medical College Hospital, officials said. Lokeswaran, a driver and his wife Meenakshi with their two children Jaswant (9) and Haripreetha (8) went to the Kailasagiri Hills near Ambur on Ganesh Chaturthi day. It may be recalled that Jaswant jumped into the pond to save Haripreetha who slipped into it and both drowned. Overcome by grief on Saturday, both the parents went to Ambur railway station, purchased a soft drink and mixed poison in it. Lokeswaran consumed it first, but when Meenakshi was drinking it, he knocked the bottle out of her hand and fainted. Both were rushed to Ambur GH where doctors declared Lokeswaran as brought dead.
