Dhenkanal: A married woman allegedly beat her old mother to death over a trivial matter in Odisha’s Dhenkanal district on Saturday.
According to sources, the victim, 85-year-old Durgabati Das was staying with her 55-year-old daughter Ashalata Das in Brahman Khantakhola village under Bhuban police station of the district. Ashalata had got married 30 years back. But she came away from her husband’s house 6 months after marriage and was staying with her mother.
Durgabati’s son Alok Das, who works in Talcher and stays there, used to enquire about her mother over phone regularly. On Saturday morning, when he called his mother, the latter did not respond. Concerned about it, he called up another sister living in nearby village and told her to enquire about their mother.
On arriving at their house, Alok’s sister found the front door closed from inside and there was no response despite repeated knocking on the door. Alarmed by it, she informed the villagers who broke open the door.
They found Durgabati lying dead in a pool of blood and informed the police. A team from Bhuban police station went to the village and started investigation.
It was revealed from preliminary investigation that Ashalata, who is mentally unstable, used to quarrel with her mother frequently. In the morning, their neighbours also heard them shouting at each other. The police also found a wooden plank with blood marks lying near the body.
Suspecting the role of Ashalata in her mother’s murder, the police detained her and started questioning her. They have registered a case of unnatural death and sent the body for post-mortem.
