Patna, July 3: An infant was bitten to death by his mother in Banka district today, sending shock waves among the residents.

Police said the 40-year-old woman, Sanju Devi, killed her two-year-old son following a quarrel with her husband, Nagendra Rai.

The incident occurred at Lalmatia village under the jurisdiction of Bounsi police station in Banka district, around 255km east from here. On being informed, a police team rushed to the village, about 30km north of the district headquarters, and sent the body to the Banka sadar hospital for post-mortem.

Banka superintendent of police Satya Prakash said the woman was stated to be mentally unstable.

"I have asked the station house officer of the Bounsi police station to admit her to a hospital for treatment," he told The Telegraph.

He clarified that under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code, a person found to be mentally challenged cannot be arrested or forwarded to jail for committing any criminal offence.

The woman's husband had earlier told the police that he took his wife to a doctor of Banka for medical advice after he noticed her unusual behaviour last year. She gave birth to a son only two years ago.

"She is perhaps under depression," a police officer quoted the husband as saying.

The Bounsi police station house officer, Raj Nandan Kumar, said he was waiting for instructions from the senior police officers to initiate action against the accused woman.

Couple killed

An elderly couple was shot dead allegedly by their distant relatives at Darve village under the jurisdiction of Bounsi police station in Banka district late on Thursday night. The deceased have been identified as Lalit Yadav (65) and Gedo Devi (60).

Police said the assailants nursed an ill-will towards the couple after a child in their extended family died sometime back.