Kamakhyanagar: A woman allegedly killed her elderly mother by beating her with a wooden plank at Majhipal village under Bhuban police limits in Dhenkanal district, today.

The deceased has been identified as Durgabati Dash, the wife of late Bibhuti Bhusan.

The accused Ashalata is said to be suffering from psychiatric illness and has been staying with her mother at her paternal house. After she was diagnosed with the disorder in 2007, she had moved to Majhipal village. The deceased’s only son Alok Dash works in a private firm in Talcher and resides there along with his family. Alok previously wanted to take his mother with him to stay with them, but his mother was not keen to abandon her daughter alone at home.

However, Durgabati had been in touch with her son and four other daughters regularly over phone.

The incident came to light when one of Durgabati’s daughters could not connect with her mother over phone. Worried over repeated unanswered calls, the deceased's daughter called up her mother's neighbour to find out that she has been brutally killed.

Following this, local police was informed about the incident. A team of Bhuban police reached the spot and recovered Durgabati’s body from a pool of blood. Police have registered an unnatural death case in this connection and initiated a probe.