Starving elderly man dies as son locks up parents in Kerala

An 80-year-old man died, suspected to be of starvation, while his 75-year-old wife was found in a weak health condition after the two were locked up in a room by their son. The inhumane incident took place at Mundakkayam in the suburbs of Kottayam district in Kerala.

The pitiable condition of the aged couple came to light after ASHA workers visited the house to inquire about their health on Tuesday.

While Podiyan was found in a critical condition on a bed, his wife Ammini was found weak and mentally-shaken. A dog was also tied to the bed, allegedly by their son, identified as Reji, who also prevented relatives and neighbours from extending help to the two. The room was in an utterly unhygienic condition with the two forced to carry out even their primary needs in the room itself.

The local panchayat authorities and police shifted the two to a hospital. But Podiyan died on reaching the hospital.

The preliminary report of the post-mortem examination of Podiyan found that his internal organs had shrunken which could be due to starvation. Detailed examinations are required to confirm the exact cause of death, sources said.

Local people told the police that their son, who was staying in the house with his family, was not taking care of the aged parents and used to quarrel with them frequently. The family was financially weak. The son, who was said to be an alcoholic and used to do daily-wage jobs, did not allow relatives and neighbours to help the aged couple.

The Mundakayam police said that Reji is still absconding. A case of unnatural death has already been registered. A decision on registering a case against Reji would be taken after further investigation.