In a shocking incident, a woman in Chennai's Pullapuram slit the throats of her sons, aged 18 months and four-and-a-half years, and then attempted suicide by slitting her own throat due to a family feud near Kilpauk, on Saturday.

18-month-old R. Punith Kumar died, while his elder brother, R. Lakshan Kumar (four-and-a-half years), and the woman, R. Divya (31), are battling for survival in the ICU of Kilpauk Medical College Hospital.

According to police, Divya’s marriage with Ramkumar, an employee of a private courier firm, was marred by frequent quarrels since their union on September 12, 2019. Two months ago, tensions escalated, leading Divya to leave Ramkumar and move in with her parents in Pullapuram. He stayed with his family in Perungalathur.

Divya reportedly had a heated argument with her husband over the phone. She then locked herself and her sons in a room. The incident came to light when their aunt Padmavath knocked at the door repeatedly and was shocked when Divya opened the door with a cut on her throat

Alarmed, Padmavathi alerted neighbors, who rushed the three to the hospital. Despite medical intervention, little Punith succumbed to his injuries, while Divya and Lakshan remain in critical condition.

The Kilpauk police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the case.