Drug addict strangles mother in Pachhad of Sirmaur district

A shocking case of matricide has emerged from Chadech village under gram panchayat Sarahan in Pachhad subdivision of Sirmaur district, where a drug-addicted son allegedly strangled his mother to death on Saturday night.

The victim has been identified as 51-year-old Jayamanti Devi, wife of Lachi Kumar. According to police, the accused Pushp Kumar had a heated argument with his mother during heavy rains on Saturday evening. Enraged, he allegedly attacked her with a sharp iron object on the head, hands and other parts of the body before strangling her to death. Later, he took advantage of the darkness and heavy rains to bury the body in a nearby field, about 100 metres from their house.

In a bizarre twist, the accused turned up at Pachhad police station on Monday to lodge a missing complaint about his mother. However, his behaviour raised suspicion among villagers, the local panchayat, his sister and even the police. His sister informed investigators that she had last spoken to their mother on Saturday evening. When she repeatedly questioned Pushp about her mother’s whereabouts over the next two days, he evaded her queries, eventually filing a missing complaint.

DSP Rajgarh VC Negi confirmed that police have arrested Pushp Kumar and registered a case of murder against him. The body was recovered on Monday evening and will undergo post-mortem at Dr YS Parmar Government Medical College, Nahan, before being handed over to the family for cremation.

Police revealed that Pushp Kumar was a habitual drug user for several years and frequently quarreled with his parents under the influence. Around two months ago, his father, Lachi Kumar, also died under suspicious circumstances. Significantly, a case of assault against family members had already been registered against Pushp at Pachhad police station in the past.

Authorities said probe was underway and further details will be revealed after the post-mortem report.