Mother hacks three kids, tries to kill self

Agra -- An impoverished mother of six, said to be deaf and mute as well as mentally unstable, tried to kill three of her children with a sickle and later attempted self-immolation in a village in Firozabad district of Uttar Pradesh.

While she is in police custody, the seriously injured children are in a hospital in Firozabad's Narkhi block, 45 km from Agra.

Police said the woman, Suman, was frustrated with living a life of penury. She attacked her children while her elder son Brajesh and husband Lalit Mohan were away. Her husband, instead of looking after the family, spends time worshipping in a temple.

Suman attacked Rahul, Santosh and Vivek with the sickle and kept assaulting them till they collapsed.

When her elder son returned home with water for the family, he saw his mother in a violent mood. He rushed out and sought help from the villagers and called his father.

After the neighbours arrived, Suman tried to immolate herself by setting fire to her clothes, but was prevented. Brajesh lodged a complaint at the Narkhi police station. The police took the children to hospital.