woman dead, son critical after consuming poison

Chennai: A 66-year-old woman died, while her son remained in critical condition, after the two consumed poison at their home in Thazhambur.Police identified the deceased as Vijaya, 66, a resident of Greenwood City in Thazhambur. Her son, Raghuvaran, who worked on the Nemmeli desalination plant project, is undergoing treatment at Rajiv Gandhi Govt General Hospital in Chennai.Police sources said Raghuvaran had been living with his mother as he was facing marital disputes and attending court proceedings in Madurai district. He had invested money in online trading and was suspected to have suffered heavy financial losses, police said. He he had been depressed over the losses and had expressed suicidal thoughts to his mother.In the wee hours on Friday, Raghuvaran contacted his elder brother, Raghavan, who lives in Tiruchi, and told him that he and his mother had consumed poison in an attempt to end their lives. Raghavan's friends broke open the door of the house around 6 am on Friday. Vijaya was found dead inside, while Raghuvaran was found unconscious.He was first taken to a private hospital in Perumbakkam and later shifted to Rajiv Gandhi Govt General Hospital as his condition was critical. Thazhambur police sent Vijaya's body Chromepet Govt Hospital for postmortem.Police said they were examining Raghuvaran's mobile phone to determine whether he had incurred losses through online trading or had fallen victim to online fraud. Further investigation is under way. (Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available on TN's health helpline 104 and Sneha's suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)