He was picked up by police in Tanjong Penjuru in Jurong last Saturday evening.

Madam Singaravallye Karppiah, a 59-year-old factory worker, was slashed by a man last Wednesday afternoon as she was returning home from work.

She has undergone two operations at the National University Hospital and remains sedated to allow her to recover, said her family members.

She is said to remain in critical condition.

A relative who declined to be named said: 'The swelling on her face and head has gone down slightly. She has not woken up yet, but is not in a coma.'

Madam Singaravallye's husband Koranda Ramalingam, 71, told The Straits Times that she was always home by 5pm, so he became worried when there was still no sign of her by 5.30pm.

The retired gardener then got a call from the hospital.

Pains in his leg kept him from visiting her till the next day.

He said: 'I was crying when I saw her in hospital. I want to know why things turned out like this. What happened?'

Read the full story in today's edition of The Straits Times.