Kollam: An 80-year-old woman's body was found inside her home in Kollam after her son kept it there for three days without informing anyone, police said on Saturday.

The woman was identified as Chinnathamma, a resident of the Rehabilitation Plantations Limited (RPL) Colony in Kulathupuzha. Her 60-year-old son, Krishnaswamy, who lived with her, was found staying beside the body.

According to the Kulathupuzha police, the incident came to light on Friday morning when Krishnaswamy's daughter, Damayanthi, visited the house after her father asked her to bring her Aadhaar card and other documents required for processing his retirement benefits.

When she arrived, Damayanthi asked her father where her grandmother was. He replied that Chinnathamma was lying on the bed and had died three days earlier. She then entered the bedroom and found her grandmother lying dead on a cot, covered with a blanket. Damayanthi immediately alerted neighbours, who informed the police.

Preliminary investigation suggests that Chinnathamma died of age-related causes, police said.

"Krishnaswamy has been undergoing treatment for mental health issues. He appears to have understood that his mother had died but, because of his condition, was unable to communicate it to anyone. Instead, he kept the body on the cot covered with a blanket," said an officer of the Kulathupuzha police.

The officer added incense sticks had been lit near the body, possibly to mask the odour as decomposition set in.

Police also dismissed rumours circulating locally that Krishnaswamy had been performing black magic or occult rituals. "We found no evidence to support such claims. He is a religious person who offers prayers, but nothing suggests black magic or witchcraft. Our preliminary investigation indicates that his mental condition prevented him from informing others about his mother's death," the officer added.

Krishnaswamy is a retired employee of Rehabilitation Plantations Limited, a joint venture of the Central and Kerala governments established to rehabilitate repatriates from Sri Lanka.

Chinnathamma's body has been shifted to the Government Taluk Hospital in Punalur for postmortem examination. Police said the inquest has been completed and the body would be handed over to the family after the autopsy.

The Kulathupuzha police have registered a case under Section 194 (unnatural death) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and launched an investigation into the incident.