Odisha police on Monday arrested a 39-year-old man for allegedly tying his 70-year-old mother to an electric pole and thrashing her mercilessly. The only fault of the woman was that she had allegedly taken a cauliflower grown by the son without informing him and consumed it.

The incident took place on December 20 in Sarasapasi village of Keonjhar district. After the video surfaced on social media and created a buzz, the police took action and registered a suo motu case.

Inspector of Champua police station, Trinath Sethi, told The Telegraph: “Based on the statement of the mother, we have arrested the son on the charges of thrashing his mother under IPC section 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 294 (recites obscene acts or song), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 307 (attempt to murder) and court forwarded him.”

The accused has been identified as Satrughan Mahant. The mother Subhadra Mahant, a widow, had two sons — Karuna and Shatrughan. Subhadra Mahant used to stay with her elder son. Following the death of his elder son six years back, Subhadra started living alone in a separate hut. The younger son Satrughan has been residing separately along with his wife.

“Last Wednesday, the mother took the cauliflower from her son’s farm and consumed it. After coming to know about it, the son, who is a habitual drinker, became furious and dragged the mother out of the hut and later tied her to an electric pole and thrashed her. Fearing a thrashing from the husband, the daughter-in-law did not dare to protest. Later the villagers intervened and rescued the mother,” said a local journalist.