To save her daughter-in-law from her son’s beatings, a 45-year-old woman allegedly strangled him to death at Mankhurd on Tuesday evening. She was arrested on the following day.
Anwari Idrisi stayed with the son’s body for the entire night, said the police.
According to the Mankhurd police, Nadeem Naim, 25, lived with his mother, wife, two elder brothers and their wives in Ambedkar chawl. Around two years ago, Nadeem married an Allahabad woman who was unaware of his addiction to drugs. Fed up with his drug addiction and beatings, the wife left her in-laws’ house after five months.
The police said that Anwari did not want her daughter-in-law to leave. She convinced her that Nadeem would not beat her again and leave drugs, the police said. She also said that if the next time he tried to beat her she would save her. The daughter-in-law was taken in and returned to Mankhurd.
“On Tuesday night, Nadeem came home in an inebriated state when the entire family was present. Anwari realised that Nadeem would become violent and ordered her sons and daughters-in-law to sleep in the neighbour’s house. Nadeem could not tolerate this and after everyone had left, he began beating his mother. She took the beating,’ said inspector Chandrakant Landge of Mankhurd police station.
When Nadeem was tired, Anwari pushed him towards a steel ladder. She tied her dupatta around his neck and strangled him to death, said Landge.
After Nadeem died, Anwari sat next to his body, weeping for the entire night.
At 5.45am when Nadeem’s wife returned home, she saw her mother-in-law crying, said the police.
The events bore an uncanny similarity to the cult Bollywood movie Mother India. Anwari confessed to her family that she had killed Nadeem to save her daughter-in-law from torture. She was arrested for murder under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.
The police have sent Nadeem’s body for post-mortem.