Thiruvananthapuram: A man beat and kicked his bedridden mother to death while in an inebriated state at Thekkada, near Vattappara. The shocking incident took place on Tuesday evening. The deceased, Omana (75), was reportedly assaulted by her son, Santosh alias Manikandan (50), at their home. The accused was arrested by the Vattappara Police.

Santosh, who arrived home drunk on Tuesday at around 7.30 pm, inflicted injuries on his mother and kicked her repeatedly. Though Omana was rushed to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital by 10 pm, she succumbed to her injuries at 11.30 pm.

According to local residents, the assault happened after Omana refused to give her son money to buy alcohol and retrieve his motorbike, which he had pawned. This was not the first instance of violence – neighbours revealed that Santosh had beaten his mother on previous occasions as well.

Due to continuous abuse, Omana had been bedridden for the past three months. It is alleged that during earlier attacks, Santosh had broken both her legs and her right hand.

After the fatal assault, Santosh went on to vandalise a shed near their house. Locals said he frequently causes trouble under the influence of alcohol, which led to his wife and children moving out of the house.

Neighbours said that they did not intervene, as they were used to his frequent drunken outbursts.