CHENNAI: A 31-year-old man, a law graduate, allegedly took his own life at his residence in Tondiarpet on Tuesday using a licensed firearm that belonged to his mother.

The deceased was identified as Prahaladhan Narasimhan (31). His family runs an ice cream and soft drink manufacturing business.

Police said that Prahaladhan was alone at his house on Kummalamman Koil Street in Tondiarpet when he took the extreme step. His parents, Chandrasekaran and Tharagai, are in the United States visiting their daughter, who is settled there with her family.

On Tuesday, Banu, the domestic help, came to the house for her chores. She was the one who found Prahaladhan lying dead in the bedroom with a gunshot wound and alerted her employers and the police.

Kasimedu police reached the scene and recovered Prahaladhan's body and sent it to the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination. The police also recovered the firearm, which was licensed. The weapon was sent for forensic examination.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the weapon was licensed to Prahaladhan’s mother Tharagai. Police have recovered a note from the house in which Prahaladhan claimed that no one is responsible for his decision.

A case has been registered, and further investigations are on.

(Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. In case you feel distressed by the content or know someone in distress, call --- Sneha, Chennai: 91-44-2464 0050, 91-44-2464 0060; Maithri, Cochin: +91 239 6272; Sumaitri, New Delhi: 2338 9090; Aasra, Mumbai: 9820466726; Fortis MentalHealth: 8376804102; Tele MANAS: 14416, or download Tele MANAS mobile app)