CHENNAI: “Fear is a dangerous disease,” wrote N Vigneshwaran in his
suicide
note before ending his life. Minutes before that, he had smothered his mother, who was
mentally ill
, to
death.
Police said Vigneshwaran, a 22-year-old food delivery executive, had slipped into depression. His mother, 52-year-old Sundaravalli, had been mentally ill for the past few years. Fear drove the man to kill his mother and then end his life at their
slum clearance
board tenement on Dr Thomas Road in Teynampet, said police.
The man’s father, Natesan, employed as a watchman in a private company, had deserted the family after Sundaravalli fell ill. Vigneshwaran, who had completed BA in history from a private college, took care of his mother. “My brother is the only person understand my mother,” said Mahalakshmi, his sister.
Police said Sundaravalli often had mood swings and imagined people around her were her enemies.
Witnesses told police that they had last seen Vigneshwaran and his mother walking towards their house around 6.45pm on Saturday. Around 10.30pm, his friend Arunkumar ran out of the house screaming. When neighbours rushed in, they found the man hanging from the ceiling. Sundaravalli was lying dead in the bed.
Police said Vigneshwaran had smothered his mother with a pillow. Before that he had transferred 6,500 to his manager, telling him, “It will be needed soon.” The Teynampet police recovered the bodies and sent to Government General Hospital for autopsy.
If in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call 104 for the health department’s helpline that offers counselling or 044- 24640050 for Sneha suicide helpline.