Son kills ailing mother out of ‘mercy’

Son kills ailing mother out of ‘mercy’

Says She Had Requested Him To Relieve Her Of Pain

Sindhu.Kannan@timesgroup.com

Chennai:29.07.2020

In a macabre case of matricide, a 36-year-old man murdered his bed-ridden mother, apparently to relieve her of her multiple ailments and pain.

Anandan slit her mother’s throat at their home in Sriperumpudur on Monday and later told police that he euthanised his mother unable to bear her suffering. The deceased, D Govindammal, lived with her husband Durai, 66, and their son Anandan.

The family made a living working as dhobis on Mariamman Koil Street in Sriperumbudur. Anandan was living with his parents as his wife had left him along with their child owing to his addiction to liquor.

Govindammal was diagnosed with tuberculosis in February this year and also suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes. After treatment at Sriperumbudur Government Hospital she was brought back home in the first week of July, police said.

Her condition began to deteriorate since Friday after which she allegedly pleaded with her son to kill her saying she was unable to bear the pain. She also refused to come to hospital saying no treatment would improve her health condition and that she wanted to spend her final days with her family.

On Sunday, Govindammal’s daughter, who lives in Chengalpet, came to visit her after being informed of her deteriorating health. On Monday evening, Durai came back home from work and found his wife lying in a pool of blood with her throat slit. The daughter was at a neighbour’s house when the incident took place.

Based on the information the Sriperumbudur police reached the spot and sent the body for postmortem to a government hospital at Sriperumbudur. Interrogation of Anandan revealed that he killed her because his mother was suffering from unbearable pain and pleaded with him for mercy killing.

“The family members were poor and their business was dull during the lockdown. They couldn’t find money to support her medical expenses,” said Sriperumbudur inspector J Vinayagam.

Anandan who came home at 4.30pm, slit her throat using a kitchen knife and she bled to death on her bed. The Sriperumbudur police booked Anandan on the charges of murder and remanded him in judicial custody.

Anandan slit his mother Govindammal’s throat using a kitchen knife and she bled to death on her bed. The Sriperumbudur police booked Anandan on charges of murder