In a tragic incident, the body of an elderly woman was discovered in her home in Jyotikuchi, Guwahati, on Sunday. Following the recovery of the remains, locals have come forward to assert that Joydeep Dey, the woman's son, was not mentally ill initially.
“There were frequent clashes between father and son while the former was alive,” said one of the locals. After the father's death, it was reported that the son lost contact with others and even restricted his mother from engaging with neighbours. “After his father's death, the son did not have any contact with any persons. Moreover, the son did not even allow the mother to stay in touch with the people nearby. After the death of his father, there was no light at home; mother-son were in the dark. No one was informed of his mother's death,” the local continued.
It was noted that five days prior to the discovery of the skeletal remains, the son had told a neighbour that his mother was sleeping. In the wake of the recent conclusion of the Bhadra month (which spans from mid-August to mid-September), a period when locals usually visited the namghar near the house daily, no specific explanations for the situation have been identified.
On Sunday, concerned locals contacted two of the woman’s relatives, but the son denied them entry into the home. As a result, they were compelled to call the police using the emergency number 100. The entire incident unfolded as the police assisted in opening the door.
Reports indicate that the remains of the woman, identified as Purnima Devi, had reportedly been lying in the home for several days, leaving only skeletal remains. Purnima lived with her son, who is believed to be mentally ill, raising serious questions about the circumstances surrounding her death. Her husband, who worked in the railway department, had passed away from a stroke three years ago, leaving her reliant on his pension for survival.
The situation has garnered significant attention, prompting the arrival of a forensic team and a unit from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to thoroughly investigate the matter.
