Ramgarh: A man allegedly locked his ailing mother at home in Jharkhand’s Ramgarh district and went to Prayagraj for a holy dip in Maha Kumbh along with his wife, children and in-laws, police said on Thursday.

The police rescued the 65-year-old mother from a quarter of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) in Subhash Nagar colony under Ramgarh police station limit on Wednesday.

The woman was locked in the home since Monday and survived on Chura (flattened rice). The neighbours came to know about her when she cried in hunger for help, police said.

Ramgarh Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Parmeshwar Prasad said, “The elderly woman, identified as Sanju Devi, was locked by her son, Akhilesh Kumar, in his CCL quarter since Monday. Kumar along with his family went to Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. She was rescued on Wednesday after her daughter informed police.” He said that Kumar is a CCL employee.

Kumar informed police that his mother was unwell and they came to Prayagraj after making all arrangements for her food and drink, another police officer said.

The woman’s daughter Chandni Devi, who resides around five kilometres away from the CCL quarter in Kahubera, said that she got the information about her mother over phone from neighbours.

“Police rescued her after breaking the lock. The neighbours immediately gave her food. She was also given medicines and admitted to CCL hospital,” Devi told reporters.

Devi said her brother Akhilesh Kumar got a job in CCL on compassionate ground and he has been working as Shovel operator in Argada area of CCL in Ramgarh district.