Unable to bear the sexual assault on their teenage daughter, a couple committed suicide by consuming poison-laced soft drinks in nearby Tirupur.

Rajaperumal and his wife Ambika, residents of Kathirkambam in Puducherry, were said to be upset over the incident that occured a few days ago, where their girl, a plus two student, was allegedly sexually assaulted by a youth, who was later arrested.

Taking the rape victim girl, the couple, after visiting Palani temple, came to Tirupur yesterday, police said.

Rajaperumal purchased three bottles of soft drinks and gave each to his wife and daughter. The couple started vomiting after sometime and hearing the screams of the daughter, passersby requisitioned ambulance and took them to Government hospital in Tirupur, with the assistance of police.

However, without responding to treatment Rajaperumal breathed his last, while Ambika who was brought and admitted to the Government hospital here, died around midnight, they said.

Police have handed over the daughter to a shelter home in Tirupur.

Further investigations revealed that the couple had written a suicide note in their house, stating that they were taking this extreme step unable to bear the humiliation caused by the incident and requested Ambika’s mother to look after their four children.