Kozhikode (Kerala) | A 38-year-old mentally unstable woman was arrested on Saturday for allegedly strangling her five-year-old son to death here, police said.

The accused has been identified as Anu K, a resident of Mini Vihar, Narikunni, Punnassery.

According to police, around 8 am, the police control room received a call from Anu, in which she admitted to strangling her son, Nanda Harshan.

A police team immediately rushed to the house and found the boy lying unconscious. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead, an officer said.

Anu was later shifted to the Kakkoor police station, where her arrest was formally recorded.

Police have registered a case of murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita along with relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

A police officer said Anu worked at a financial institution and was on medication for mental illness.

The child was a UKG student at a private school in Kakkoor, police added.