CHENNAI: A 62-year-old woman, said to be mentally ill was found dead with her throat slit inside her home in Tondiarpet on Sunday. Police suspect the woman to have died by suicide.

The deceased woman was identified as P Kala. She was making a living as a flower vendor. A widow, the woman was living alone while her daughter and son were living with their families. Police investigations revealed that the woman was undergoing treatment for mental illness and epilepsy for the last three years.

On Sunday morning, her son Srinivasan had accompanied her to the hospital for a check-up and brought her back home. On returning home, the woman had pestered her son to stay with her and threatened that she would take her life if he leaves. Srinivasan had stayed with her for a while and after consoling her, he left the home, locking it from outside and handed over the key to a flower vendor down the street. When the vendor, Devaki came to check on Kala, she was found lying unconscious with slit injuries on her throat after which Devaki alerted Srinivasan. The family members moved Kala to a hospital where she was declared brought dead.

Fishing Harbour Police registered a case and moved the body to a government hospital for post mortem.