Kolkata: Mom shoots gun-toting son to save self, daughter-in-law

HOWRAH: In a bid to save herself and her daughter-in-law from being shot dead, a 60-year-old mother shot at her son, critically injuring him, at Nandalal Mitra Lane in Howrah’s Salkia on Monday morning. The mother, Renu Sharma, was arrested while her son Manoj (31) was taken to a Howrah hospital and shifted to SSKM Hospital after his condition deteriorated.
Police recovered two 7mm unlicenced pistols from Manoj, who owns and drives a truck and a taxi. He told police that he bought those weapons for his own security as he often drives his truck at night.
Manoj’s wife Devi Sharma, too, told police that her husband would often beat her up with pistol butt. “He would also threaten to shoot me and my mother-in-law with those weapons. On Sunday night, he was out driving and returned home drunk on Monday morning. He was carrying the pistols, one in each hand. He suddenly started beating me when I questioned him about why he was drunk. My mother-in-law rushed in to save me. She asked her son not to torture me. My mother-in-law too asked Manoj why he regularly returned home drunk. He then started threatening to kill both me and my mother-in-law. At this point, my mother-in-law suddenly snatched one of the weapons from Manoj and fired at him. A bullet hit Manoj on his abdomen and he fell on the ground. Hearing the commotion, neighbours rushed in and informed Golabari police station. Police took him to hospital. I don’t know how he is now.”
Locals said Renu fled her house and took shelter in a neighbour’s house. Later, she surrendered to police. Renu told police, “My daughter-in-law has lost her mother. She is a very good girl and takes care of me. I treat her like my daughter. But my son tortures her every day. When I protest, he tortures me too. I repeatedly asked him not to carry illegal arms, stop drinking and torturing his wife. And every time, he would turn furious. This morning, he was going to kill me and my daughter-in-law and by snatching the weapon, I tried to scare him. However, I accidentally pressed the trigger.”
Neighbours of the Sharmas said Manoj would return home drunk every day. “We would often hear his mother and wife screaming. He would regularly torture them. At times, we would rush to their house to prevent him from harming his mother and wife. But he would threaten to shoot us dead,” said a neighbour.
DC North, Howrah City Police, Amit Rathore, said: “We are verifying the mother’s statement and probing the matter.”