Bengaluru: A man has allegedly smothered his wife with a pillow before hanging himself to death at their residence here, police said on Saturday.

The deceased have been identified as Sumant Jain, a civil engineer, and his wife Padmavati, a software engineer. Police suspected that the couple had an argument that later turned violent, though a detailed investigation is underway.

During the dispute last Wednesday, Sumant allegedly hit Padmavati on the face and suffocated her with a pillow. When he later tried to wake her, he realised that she was not breathing, police said.

In a panic, Sumant allegedly called his mother and told her what had happened before sending her a message. On seeing the message, his mother contacted the landlord.

When the house was opened, Sumant was found hanging from a ceiling fan in the hall, while Padmavati was found dead, police said.

The Rajagopal Nagar Police were informed and reached the spot. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway.

Police said the exact cause of Padmavati’s death and the precise sequence of events leading to both deaths are yet to be established.