The local residents claimed that a week’s Isolation had pushed Manikandan into depression. (Representative Image/Wikimedia Commons)

A 75-year-old woman passed away Saturday, a day after she was bitten by a man who had escaped from home-quarantine in Jakkamanayakanpatti in Bodinayakanur near Tamil Nadu's Theni district, police said. Manikandan, 32, was quarantined after he returned to the district, his hometown, from Sri Lanka, where he working in a textile shop.

Manikandan had returned as countries began locking down to contain the spread of Covid-19, and was asked to remain in home-quarantine for 14 days by district health officials, as directed by the Tamil Nadu government. His family too had asked him to remain indoors, without any social contact.

Local residents claimed that a week's isolation had pushed Manikandan into depression. On Friday afternoon, tearing his clothes off, Manikandan ran out of his house and bit the woman who was sleeping outside her house in the adjacent street. Her neighbours were alerted after she woke up screaming in pain.

The police said Manikandan tried to flee the spot, attacking people who tried to stop him. He was eventually caught by the mob in a few minutes and handed over to the district police.

The old woman was immediately rushed to a local hospital in Bodinayakanur and then was taken to Kanavilakku government hospital where she succumbed to the injuries.

Manikandan was taken to the hospital as well.

“The incident happened in the afternoon on Friday. We have registered a case against Manikandan under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The hospital just confirmed that he is mentally stable, we are waiting for the official reports,” a police official from Bodinayakanur said.

Earlier this week, a 28-year-old man from Pudukkotai with a travel history from Malaysia committed suicide by hanging himself. Local reports said the man was depressed that his friends and family didn’t have a conversation with him during the self-quarantine period and that pushed him to take the extreme step.

On Friday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi said a committee has been formed and 24-hour helpline service is available to help people who are in distress.