The Telegraph

Kalimpong, Nov. 24: A 34-year-old youth was allegedly killed by his mother at Primtam Road here last night. Soon after the murder, Lakshmi Bhandari appeared before police and confessed to the crime.

The deceased, Pankaj, was unemployed, while his 56-year-old mother is a nurse at the Kalimpong Subdivisional Hospital. She has another son Satyam, 28, and he is also jobless. The woman’s husband had died three-four years ago.

Police sources said the incident occurred around 10pm when Pankaj picked up a fight with his mother and the younger brother. “Satyam told us that Pankaj had brandished a sword-like weapon at him and the mother. To avoid any problem, Satyam walked out of the house, but returned a short time later fearing for the safety of the mother,” said a source.

However, when he entered the mother’s bedroom, Satyam found Pankaj lying on the floor in a pool of blood with his throat slit. “Satyam was told by his mother that she had first struck at Pankaj with a mungro (bat-shaped wood used to wash clothes) and then slit his throat with the same weapon he had been threatening her with,” said the source.

Lakshmi walked to the Thanadara police station with Satyam around midnight and confessed to killing her elder son. “We arrested her on the basis of the complaint lodged by Satyam. She told us she had been bearing with the daily fights and tantrums of her son for the past 11 years. Last night, when Pankaj threatened to kill her, she thought it better to get rid of him than to live with his constant threat,” said the source.

The police and residents of Primtam said fights were frequent at Lakshmi’s house and both her sons were drug addicts.

Pratima, the sister between the two brothers, has been sent word in Calcutta where she works.

The police today produced Lakshmi in a court, which remanded her in judicial custody. “Even though she has taken responsibility for the death of her son, we will be carrying out an investigation to corroborate her claims,” said an officer.