Family tells police she has been suffering from schizophrenia
The police discovered the boy had been killed after forcing open the bedroom door. Representation pic
A woman, who is allegedly being treated for schizophrenia, strangled and killed her 10-year-old son using a mobile phone charging cable. According to the police sources, the woman was residing with her husband, 14-year-old daughter, and the deceased son in the Kherwadi area of Bandra East. Her husband is a government employee, serving as a deputy secretary in the Excise Department.
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Around 8 pm on Thursday, the woman was at home with the two children while her husband was on duty. She took her son to the bedroom and locked the door from inside. The daughter, sensing something unusual after hearing noises from the bedroom, knocked on the door but the woman refused to open it. The girl called the neighbours for help but they too were unsuccessful in opening the door.
The neighbours then called the woman's husband, who immediately informed the Kherwadi police. A police team promptly arrived at the scene, forced open the bedroom door, and discovered that the woman had strangled her son using the cable. The boy was rushed to the nearest government hospital for treatment, but doctors declared him dead on arrival. “During interrogation, it was revealed that the woman had been suffering from schizophrenia and undergoing treatment for approximately one and a half years. While there was no prior information about any similar attempts, family members mentioned that she often quarrelled with her husband and children,” said an officer from Kherwadi police station.
“We have registered a case under 103(1) (punishment for murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), arrested the woman and produced her in court on Friday. We are investigating the case further,” said Senior PI Kavidas Jambhale of Kherwadi police.
ExpertSpeak
Renowned psychiatrist Dr Sagar Mundada, associated with Healthspring, said, “This incident is deeply tragic. No mother in a normal mental state would ever commit such an act. This strongly indicates that she is suffering from a mental illness. If the family claims she is undergoing treatment, it is likely that the treatment was not followed properly and the patient might not have been taking her medication as prescribed.”
According to Mundada, it is possible that her normal behaviour at times led the family to believe that she was recovering or fully stable. However, in reality, the illness may have persisted or worsened unnoticed. “In such cases, the priority is to provide treatment to the accused. However, this determination is made only after the court orders a mental health evaluation by a panel of expert doctors from a reputed government hospital, and the diagnosis is confirmed in their report,” he said, adding that her arrest aligns with the standard procedures outlined in the police manual.
Advocate Dr Nilesh Pawaskar, special public prosecutor, Bombay High Court, said, “It appears that all these points serve as defences claiming the accused is schizophrenic or suffers from some other mental illness. These points will primarily be useful during the trial. Standard police procedures will be followed in the initial stages of the investigation. The accused will be arrested, undergo a medical examination, and be presented in court.
In case the preliminary medical opinion suggests that the accused has schizophrenia or a similar condition, further investigation will be necessary to determine if the act was committed during a specific episode of the illness. This will involve examining all aspects of the case, including the accused's medical history, prior arrests, frequency of such episodes, and other relevant factors.”
According to Pawaskar, the investigation will also aim to establish whether the act was genuinely a result of the illness or if the accused deliberately used the illness as a pretext. These findings will then become part of the official record and provide clarity on the circumstances of the act.
“If the investigation confirms that the accused genuinely suffers from schizophrenia, the court will decide the appropriate course of action. This may involve either releasing the accused with conditions for treatment or keeping them in custody to ensure treatment, especially if there is a risk of recurrence,” he added.
Advocate Vishhal Saxxenaa, Supreme Court of India, said, “BNS section 22 (IPC section 84 earlier) carves out an exception, that an act will not be an offence, if done by a person, who at the time of doing the same, because of unsoundness of mind, is incapable of knowing the nature of the act, or what he is doing is either wrong or contrary to law.”
According to Saxxenaa, to establish that an act done is not an offence as covered by IPC section 84, the following elements must be present…
. The accused was of unsound mind at the time of commission of the act
. Because of unsoundness of mind, the accused was incapable of knowing the nature of the act or that he was doing what was either wrong or contrary to the law
“Such a person, if arrested, can apply to the appropriate court for bail. The court may after adjudication of all facts and circumstances grant bail or anticipatory bail. The police may file a charge sheet narrating the facts and the condition of the accused. While in custody, the officials should send the accused for a medical examination and if the medical report suggests mental illness, then the accused can be admitted to the hospital,” Saxxenaa said.
18 months
Time the woman has been treated for mental illness
Expert opinion
‘BNS section 22 (IPC section 84 earlier) carves out an exception, that an act will not be an offence, if done by a person, who at the time of doing the same, because of unsoundness of mind, is incapable of knowing the nature of the act, or what he is doing is either wrong or contrary to law’
Vishhal Saxxenaa, advocate, Supreme Court
‘The defence claiming the accused suffers from a mental illness will primarily be useful during the trial. But standard police procedures will be followed in the initial stages of the investigation. The accused will be arrested, undergo a medical examination, and be presented in court’
Dr Nilesh Pawaskar, special public prosecutor, Bombay High Court
‘No mother in a normal mental state would ever commit such an act. If the family claims she is undergoing treatment, it is likely that the treatment was not followed properly and the patient might not have been taking her medication as prescribed’
Dr Sagar Mundada, psychiatrist
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