CHENNAI: Three members of the same family - mother, daughter and son - who are allegedly mentally ill have been shifted to the Institute of Mentally Health (IMH) in Kilpauk, after fellow flatmates complained to police about their behaviour.
Speaking to Express, Deputy Commissioner of Police, T Nagar, Hari Kiran Prasad said that about 30 residents from his jurisdiction met him and narrated their harrowing experiences. “Later, I visited the apartment and listened to other neighbours as well,” he said.
“When police tried to hold talks with the family, the woman’s adult son behaved in an aggressive manner with the police personnel, after which I communicated the problem to the authorities of IMH and the trio were taken to the institute in an ambulance,” said the DCP.
One of the neighbours, Prasath told Express that they had to put up with family’s irrational behaviour for the last two years. “While the mother was affected initially, her son after a period of time also started to exhibit frightening behaviour.
He used to stare at women and grab their hands while they entered and left the house. Her daughter too used to verbally abuse us when we complained about her brother’s behaviour,” he said. Prasath added that the family was sent to IMH in 2019, but they returned within three months and soon enough, their poor behaviour restarted.
Deputy Commissioner Hari Kiran Prasad said that police approached the problem in a sensitive manner and tried to redress the grievance of complainants, while taking a humane approach towards the affected family as well.