Chennai: What initially appeared to be the death of a 61-year-old woman after she fell unconscious in her bathroom turned out to be a murder after a postmortem revealed that she had been strangled. Police arrested her daughter-in-law, who allegedly strangled the woman while she lay unconscious after the fall.The deceased, Perundevi, lived on Periyathatham Mettu Street in Chengalpet with her son Venkatesan, 34, daughter-in-law Indhuja, 28, and grandchildren. Police said Perundevi slipped and fell in the bathroom on Tuesday night and lost consciousness. She was rushed to Chengalpet Government Hospital, but died.Chengalpet Town police initially registered a case of natural death. However, the postmortem examination conducted on Thursday found signs of strangulation, prompting police to question Indhuja.Police said Perundevi and Indhuja had been at loggerheads for the past five years over family issues. During questioning, Indhuja admitted to strangling her mother-in-law after finding her unconscious following the fall, police said.Indhuja told police that she believed the strangulation would go undetected and that Perundevi’s death would be attributed to the fall. She also claimed that her mother-in-law frequently abused her and found fault with the way she handled household chores.Police subsequently altered the case to murder and arrested Indhuja. She was produced before a court in Chengalpet and remanded in judicial custody at Puzhal women’s prison.
