REPORT OF AN INDEPENDENT INQUIRY ... - Hundred Families

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Chapter 1 – Chandran Sukumaran’s Family Background
1. Our understanding of the background to this tragic incident is based on both the records provided
to us and on the evidence we heard from various witnesses. Four members of Chandran’s and
Narayanan Sukumaran’s family gave evidence to the Inquiry. We record here that each one of
them was an impressive witness who gave his or her account to us in a calm and dignified
manner. They recalled events clearly and gave a straightforward and cogent account of them to
the Inquiry Panel. Of the four family members, only Chandran’s aunt needed an interpreter to be
able to talk to us. It was clear to us that the events we have been asked to investigate gave rise
to real concerns for them and that they are very attached to, and anxious about, Chandran. We
learned a lot about the family from these witnesses which was not recorded in any of the
documentation with which we had been provided at the start of the Inquiry. Our view of the
importance of this information will become apparent from later parts of this report.
2. Two members of the Inquiry Panel also spoke to Chandran for a considerable length of time one
afternoon. He was willing to talk to us about all aspects of his life, including his illness and the
effect which he perceived it to have. He answered every question that we asked him.
3. Chandran was born in Kerala, India on 15th February 1970. He has one sister, Sulekha Jaykumar,
who is almost two years older than him. Their father came to England for an extended visit when
they were very young and they remained living in India with their mother. We were told that their
mother was extremely anxious about a financial problem she had been hiding from her husband
and, on learning that he was returning to India, she committed suicide because she was worried
about how he would react towards her as a result of this financial difficulty. It appears likely that
both of her children were close by when she committed suicide by jumping into a well. We were
told that her sister had also previously killed herself.
4. Chandran told the Inquiry that his father was not prepared to talk to him about his mother as he
was growing up. Whenever Chandran mentioned her, he was told not to talk about her and that
she had made a choice to take her life and leave her children behind. Chandran said he thought
her death had “hurt [his father] deep inside”.
5. Chandran and his sister initially moved to live with relatives in India whilst their father returned
to England. Chandran went to primary school there. However, in 1979, when Chandran was nine
years old, their father brought both children to live here also.
6. Chandran and Sulekha Jaykumar went to school together when they first came here. They were
at Nelson Primary School in Newham. Chandran went on to Langdon Secondary School in East
Ham. Sulekha Jaykumar told us that they found attending school in England difficult because
they were being taught in English and struggled at school. Their first language is Malayalam.
However, she emphasised that Chandran is a very talented artist, describing him as “really
brilliant” at art. Chandran said that he had difficulty learning English and that “academically I
wasn’t good” although he enjoyed art and considers he had produced a lot of good work over
the years.