Mentally ill woman cremates husband at home in Andhra

A mentally unstable elderly woman in Pathikonda village of Andhra Pradeshs Kurnool district, who was allegedly abandoned by her sons and had no social connections left, cremated her husband all by herself at her home on Monday, after he passed away from ill health, police said.Hari Krishna Prasad 63, who was suffering from Parkinsons disease since 2016 succumbed to ill health, following which his wife Lalithamma, who is battling some mental health issues herself, burned his dead body with some discarded cartons and pieces of cloth.

A mentally unstable elderly woman in Pathikonda village of Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool district, who was allegedly abandoned by her sons and had no social connections left, cremated her husband all by herself at her home on Monday, after he passed away from ill health, police said.

Hari Krishna Prasad (63), who was suffering from Parkinson's disease since 2016 succumbed to ill health, following which his wife Lalithamma, who is battling some mental health issues herself, burned his dead body with some discarded cartons and pieces of cloth. She also attempted to conduct the funeral rituals, police said. ''They (couple) was living alone and no one was taking care of them. They are not poor and have two sons. One works in Medicover (hospital) and another in Canada,'' Kurnool superintendent of police Krishna Kanth told PTI on Monday. Both the sons have deserted their parents and have some disputes over property, the SP said. Lalithamma stayed away from society and nobody was there to help her, so she cremated her husband's dead body on her own, he added. The police had registered a case, Kanth said, but based on the investigation ''into all angles'', they did not suspect any foul play.