State Secretariat employee had returned home on leave; police probe motive behind the late-night k*illing
Munish Sood
Mandi
In a shocking case of alleged matricide that has sent shockwaves through the local community, a man was arrested after he allegedly beat his mother to d*eath with a wooden stick at their home in the Jayadevi area of Sundernagar in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district late Sunday night.
The victim, identified as Parvati Devi, was employed at the Himachal Pradesh State Secretariat in Shimla and had reportedly returned to her native village on leave. Her visit home ended in tragedy when she was allegedly attacked by her own son, Khema Ram, under circumstances that are still being investigated.
According to the police, the incident came to light around 11 pm, following information received from Khoob Ram, a resident of Uwah village in the Jayadevi area. He informed the police that Khema Ram, son of Faganu Ram, had assaulted his mother with a stick, causing fatal injuries. Parvati Devi is believed to have d*ied on the spot.
A police team from the BBMB Colony Police Station, Sundernagar, immediately rushed to the scene, secured the area, and took the body into custody. A team from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) was also called to collect evidence as part of the investigation. The body will be sent for a post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death.
Alcohol Angle Under Investigation
While the exact motive behind the k*illing remains unclear, preliminary investigations suggest that the accused may have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the assault. Police officials, however, said this aspect will be confirmed only after the accused undergoes a medical examination and the forensic findings are received.
A Family Torn Apart
The incident has left residents of the quiet hill village stunned. Parvati Devi was serving in the State Secretariat in Shimla and was known to have returned home for a brief stay with her family. The tragedy has once again highlighted the devastating consequences of domestic violence and suspected substance abuse within families.
Police also stated that another son of the deceased reportedly works as a daily-wage labourer in Shimla.
Accused Arrested, Investigation Continues
Confirming the development, DSP Sundernagar Bharat Bhushan said the accused has been arrested and a case has been registered. “The FSL team has inspected the crime scene, and all aspects of the case are being thoroughly investigated. The exact reason behind the murder is yet to be established,” he said.
Further investigation is underway, and police are awaiting forensic and post-mortem reports to piece together the sequence of events leading to the gruesome crime.
