The assault occurred within the confines of the house, witnessed by the children.
A woman in Kerala has been arrested after a video of her beating her mother-in-law surfaced on social media. In the footage, the 37-year-old woman, who is a school teacher, is seen punching and pushing the elderly mother-in-law, who falls down and cries in pain. The incident took place in Kollam at the house of the accused woman, with her son present on the spot.
Outraged by the mistreatment, concerned social media users demanded action against the woman, tagging Kerala police and asking them to intervene. Responding promptly, the cops took swift action, leading to her arrest within hours of the video gaining traction online.
Among the users who shared the video on social media is activist Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj, who captioned her post, "Abuse of the elderly is increasing so much in society. Such treatment is sick, to say the least. This woman should be arrested if she hasn't already been. What's really disturbing is how she's training even the child to abuse the old lady. Kindly tag the police."
She also tagged the Kerala police in the post. In a response to the post on X, the police confirmed that the woman responsible for the abuse was arrested on December 14.
The accused, Manjumol Thomas of Naduvilakkara in Thevalakkara, was arrested by Thekkumbhagom police. Her mother-in-law, Eliyamma Varghese, who was assaulted on Wednesday evening, sought treatment at the Chavara Community Health Centre, following which she, along with her son Jaisin and his friend, reached the police station and filed a complaint.
Manjumol was booked under Section 24 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act and 308 of the IPC (attempt to commit culpable homicide), a police officer said.
Many users have reacted to the clip, expressing their concern and condemning the abusive behaviour. The incident has sparked a significant online conversation, with many users sharing their thoughts.
"It's not increasing; it was always there. The only difference is that now videos surface on social media," commented a user.
"The look in her eyes at the one handling the camera was so painful, and she was seeking help. How cruel can one be? On the elderly? The same person who has given everything for them?" wrote another user.