A mentally challenged woman “starved to death” at Edappal in the Malappuram district of Kerala on Monday. Shobhana (55) was found dead at her home where she lived with her daughter Shruthi (25), who also suffers from mental illness. The mother and daughter had been living close to relatives but did not have many visitors, neighbours said.
K P Rabiya, a local panchayat ward member, found Shobhana dead when she was visiting her home at about 8 am on Monday. According to preliminary reports, Shobhana and Shruthi had been starving “at least for four days”.
Abandoned by family
Shobhana is learnt to have owned land and other inherited assets worth crores of rupees but depended on her share of a meagre family pension to run her home. The illness had left the mother and daughter cut off from their family. Rabiya said members of Shobhana’s extended family were “very reluctant” to even accompany the woman during her medical examination.
“Her relatives call me whenever they need someone to take her to the hospital. It was another of these calls, which made me visit her home today. When we opened the door, we saw the girl hugging her dead mother,” Rabiya told DH. The panchayat member said the two women depended on the neighbours to buy food at home.
The Changarankulam Police has registered a case under Section 174 of the CrPC. “Initial medical examination suggests that both of them were starving. We are trying to ascertain the statements made by the daughter,” a police official told DH. Shruthi who appeared extremely weak after having consumed only water for days has been admitted to a hospital. The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has registered a suo motu case in connection with the incident.
Published 26 September 2016, 19:19 IST