Hyderabad, Nov 9 (IANS): An elderly couple in Telangana committed suicide wearing new clothes and after arranging the material required for their last rites, as they did not want to burden their only son, who was ill-treating them.

The heart-rending incident took place in Elkeshwaram village in Jayashankar Bhupalapally district on Friday.

R. Saraiah (76) and his wife Radhamma (66) killed themselves at their home by consuming pesticides. Both were wearing new clothes and had arranged the items required for their funeral. Many villagers, who gathered at their residence, broke down on seeing the bodies.

According to the villagers, the couple took the extreme step as they were unable to bear the ill-treatment by their son and daughter-in-law. The couple had married off all three daughters.

Saraiah and Radhamma struggled to bring up their son and were hoping that he will look after them in the last stages of their lives. However, their son and daughter-in-law were treating them as a burden. The villagers said the son and daughter-in-law even beat up the couple.

The police have registered a case and are probing the matter.