Pune: A shocking incident occurred on Friday (October 4), as Mala Ankola, mother of former Indian cricketer Salil Ankola, was found dead in her apartment on Prabhat Road, Deccan, Pune.

The 77-year-old was discovered with a severe wound on her neck, and authorities are yet to determine whether it was a tragic suicide or a more sinister act of murder.

Mala Ankola, who had been living with her daughter, was reportedly suffering from schizophrenia, a mental disorder that might have contributed to her untimely death. The police reported that Mala had a deep gash on the front of her neck, raising suspicions of self-inflicted harm.

The series of events unfolded when Mala’s daughter and other family members left the house after 10 AM on Friday. At around 11 AM, the household help arrived and repeatedly rang the doorbell, but no one answered.

Concerned, the maid called Mala’s daughter, who immediately informed her father. Upon returning home and opening the locked door, the family was confronted with the tragic sight of Mala lying in a pool of blood, her throat slit.

The Ankola family rushed her to Pune Hospital by 1:30 PM, but doctors pronounced her dead on arrival. The police were informed immediately, and senior officials, including Additional Police Commissioner Pravin Kumar Patil and Senior Inspector Girisha Nimbalkar, reached the scene to oversee the situation.

Authorities have now registered a case of sudden death at the Deccan police station, while they await the results of an autopsy at Sassoon Hospital to determine the exact cause of death.