Kasaragod: A 32-year-old man allegedly attacked his mother with a kitchen knife while she was asleep around 3 am on Friday, April 25, at their home in Manimunda, Uppala.

Shameem Banu, 52, suffered deep cuts on her face and arms and is now undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kannur. The Manjeshwar Police said her son, believed to be struggling with mental health issues, has been taken into custody.

Shameem Banu had moved to Uppala from Mumbai just a month ago, bringing her elderly mother along, hoping to support her son, who drives an autorickshaw for a living. Her husband had passed away recently. Two of her sons still live in Mumbai.

Manjeshwar Station House Officer - Inspector Anoob Kumar E said the son would often sit in silence, staring into the distance. His withdrawn behaviour had worried his mother.

On Thursday, the family, including his grandmother and a relative, tried to take him to consult a psychiatrist in Mangaluru. But during the trip, when the autorickshaw neared Ullal, he reportedly became agitated. He accused his mother of trying to label him as "mentally ill", jumped out of the vehicle and returned home alone.

Later that night, police said, he attacked her with a kitchen knife while she was asleep, repeating the same accusations as she was trying to portray him as mentally ill.