India: Couple ends lives after celebrating 26th wedding anniversary

In a tragic incident in Nagpur, Maharashtra, a couple allegedly died by suicide hours after celebrating their 26th wedding anniversary.

Dressed in their wedding attire, Jeril Damson Oscar Moncriff (57) and his wife Anne (46) were found dead at their home in the Martin Nagar locality early Tuesday morning.

According to a report by The Times of India, the couple hosted a late-night celebration with friends and family, marking their anniversary with joy and laughter before taking the drastic step.

Jeril was discovered hanging in the kitchen, while Anne was found lifeless on a bed in the drawing room, still wearing her bridal gown.

Investigators believe Jeril first allowed Anne to end her life, then removed her body from the noose, placed flowers on her, and covered her with a cloth before taking his own life using a scarf.

The couple, who were childless, left behind poignant farewell messages on social media, including two suicide notes and an informal will written on stamp paper.

In a video message, Anne urged their family to care for their relatives’ children and expressed her best wishes for them.

Their suicide notes held no one responsible for their deaths and requested their elders to ensure the smooth distribution of their property among family members.

Honouring their final wish, the couple was buried together in a single coffin at the Jaripatka Catholic cemetery on Tuesday evening. They were laid to rest wearing the same attire they had worn on their wedding day 26 years ago, holding hands.

“I have been making coffins for five decades, but this was the first time I made a common coffin for a couple,” said Vijay Alick Michael, a third-generation undertaker, to The Times of India. “Their relatives said it was their wish to be buried together in this manner.”

The incident has left the community in shock, with many mourning the loss of a couple who, until the end, wished to remain inseparable.

Gulf Times