A middle-aged woman has sought permission to carry out ‘mercy killing’ of her 18-year-old son, who she says is “mentally deranged  and becoming a nuisance”.

The woman, Manimeghalai, a widow and mother of two sons, had come to meet the District Collector seeking permission to allow her to proceed with the mercy killing of her second son, Jaiganesh, resident of Sukrawarpet in the city.

Jaiganesh had a bout of fever some four years ago and subsequently developed some mental illness , from which he never recovered. “He roams around nude in the house and inflicts injuries upon himself with available piece of wood or knife,” Manimeghalai said.

Since the neighbours started scolding her for Jaiganesh’s behaviour, she got him admitted at the Kilpauk Hospital in Chennai on March 19, but he was sent back on May 28, for want of attenders.

Manimeghalai, who lost her husband 13 years ago, is involved in a small business with glass articles. She says she is unable to afford treatment cost and other expenses to maintain a family of three.

As a last resort, she came to meet the Collector, T.N. Hariharan, this morning, to seek his permission for mercy killing. Since the Collector was preoccupied with his duty, Manimeghalai waited for nearly four hours and officials directed her to meet him at his camp office.