Padmavathi, 52, hailing from Marathamkode, had been under treatment in the hospital for serious injuries she suffered in when her son allegedly had attacked her.

She succumbed to her injuries on Friday at 5:40 pm in the hospital, according to police sources. The body was immediately shifted to the mortuary attached to the hospital for making an inquest by the police.When the police examined the body for the inquest this morning, the face of the body had marks of gnawing by rats at two places.

The body was then taken for postmortem to the Medical College Hospital at Mulamkunnathukavu after recording the wounds on its face in the inquest report, the police added.