CHENNAI: A 66-year-old woman died and her son is battling for life after allegedly consuming poison following heavy financial losses in online trading, police said.
The deceased has been identified as Vijaya (66), a resident of Green Wood City in Thazhambur near Chennai. She lived with her younger son Ragu varan, while her elder son Raghavan resides in Tiruchy.
Raguvaran had been working on a seawater-to-drinking water project in Nemmeli and had been under severe stress. He was also fighting his divorce case at the Vadippatti court in Madurai. Adding to his woes, Raguvaran had invested over Rs 30 lakh in online trading and suffered significant losses. All of this took a toll on his mental health.
After hitting rock bottom, Raguvaran and his mother decided to end their lives. On Thursday morning, both consumed poison. Shortly after, Raguvaran called his brother Raghavan in Tiruchy and asked him to retrieve their bodies and perform their last rites, and hung up.
Raghavan, who did not know anyone who lived nearby his family, rushed from Tiruchy along with his friends. They broke open the door of the Thazhambur house around in the evening and found Vijaya dead, frothing at her mouth, and Raguvaran unconscious. They rushed Raguvaran to a private hospital in Perumbakkam, where doctors said his condition was critical and therefore, transferred him to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.
The Thazhambur police have registered a case, sent Vijaya’s body to Tambaram hospital for post-mortem, and are investigating whether Raguvaran fell victim to online fraud or incurred losses through legitimate online trading platforms.