Madhya Pradesh: Angry sons kill parents in two separate incidents

In a shocking development, two double murders of parents by their sons in separate incidents were reported in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday. Both crimes – one in Bhind district and another in Balaghat – were committed on Wednesday night. The accused son in the Bhind case is still absconding and police are hunting for him.

The incident in Chhekuri village of Gohad tehsil in Bhind, 480km north of Madhya Pradesh capital Bhopal, came to light on Thursday morning after villagers found blood-stained bodies of Harnarayan Jatav (65) and his wife Ramshri (55) on cots outside their home.

The deceased couple’s elder son Manjesh (32) was missing, Statements from villagers revealed that Manjesh had attacked his parents on two occasions previously. Suspecting him to be the murderer of the couple, police registered a case against Manjesh. The murders are likely to have been committed with an axe and there are reports that Manjesh had purchased a new one a few days ago.

Mou police station in-charge Udhaybhan Singh told THE WEEK that according to the preliminary probe, Manjesh has some mental health issues and was very upset with his parents after they allowed his younger brother (Sanjeev) to have a live-in relationship with his wife. Manjesh got married eight years ago, but his wife left him around four years ago alleging physical abuse. A compromise was reportedly reached and the woman was allowed to live with Sanjeev, who works in Delhi, Singh said.

This enraged Manjesh, and three years ago he set the house on fire, after locking his parents inside. The villagers managed to save the couple, but everything in the home was burnt down. Manjesh again attacked his parents brutally two years ago and they sustained serious injuries. “The parents blamed Manjesh’s violent behaviour on his weak mental state and did not make a police complaint. Maybe if they had, and the son was sent to jail for some time, he would have been restrained,” Singh said. The cop added that they were on a hunt for Manjesh and he would be soon arrested.

The second incident was reported from in village Gunai under Hatta police station in Balaghat district, 470km southeast of Bhopal, on Wednesday evening. In-charge of the Hatta police station, Vijay Sanas told THE WEEK that Saroj Meshram, 20, has been arrested for the murder of his parents Rupchand (64) and Kavita (62). He was presented in court on Thursday afternoon and has been sent to judicial custody.

Sanas said the preliminary probe indicated that Saroj, the younger of two sons of the deceased couple, had anger issues. The couple was manual labourers. Saroj often got into arguments with his parents and a similar argument erupted on Wednesday evening after Kavita objected to some of his actions. Saroj then attacked his mother with a stick and spade, grievously injuring her. Rupchand, who was outside, rushed in to confront his son and he was attacked too.

“Rupchand died on the spot. We reached there within 15 minutes and took the injured Kavita to the government hospital, where she died after midnight. We took Saroj into custody and presented him in court today,” Sanas said.