An 80-year-old man died due to lack of food after his son and daughter-in-law locked him up with his wife in a room without food and medicine for days at their house in Mundakkayam in Kottayam.
The deceased is identified as Podiyan of Thodiyil House. His wife Ammini, 76, has been admitted to the psychiatric ward of the Medical College Hospital, Kottayam after she was found in a mentally disturbed condition.
The couple were left alone at the house after they stopped working because of old age. The police said that the duo stayed in their younger son Reji's house. They both were denied food, water and treatment for several days at a stretch, although Reji and his wife, Jancy, stayed in the next room, reported The New Indian Express.
To prevent neighbours from entering the house, a dog was tied in front of the house when they went for work during the daytime. The neighbours said that they feared to visit the elderly couple as Reji is an alcoholic.
The couple's elder son Raghu lives in Yendayar near Mundakkayam. Their plight came to light when ASHA and palliative care workers visited the house on Monday.
They alerted the Special Branch police, and with their help, block and local panchayat members rushed them to General Hospital. However, Podiyan died.
The police who inspected the room said they found a food that had been several days old. A case of unnatural death and another case against Reji and Jancy for not giving the elderly couple food and treatment.
Further action will be taken by the police after receiving the post-mortem report. Podiyan's body was handed over to his relatives and cremated on Wednesday.
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