Angul: A 45-year-old man was arrested from Malisahi village in Jarapada police station area on Wednesday for murdering his 70-year-old mother.

The accused, Ranjan Mahar, had allegedly beaten his mother Surekha Mahar to death under the influence of alcohol. Police had seized the elderly woman's body from a cremation ground and sent it for post-mortem.

Ranjan returned home drunk on Monday evening and started altercating with his mother when she rebuked him for committing nuisance in an inebriated state. All of a sudden, Ranjan picked up a stick and hit his mother on the head. Surekha died on the spot.

Ranjan has confessed to committing the crime. He has been booked under Section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code.

Alcoholism had become rampant in hamlets predominantly inhabited by tribal people. Alcoholism by male bread-earners are breaking up the families. Cases of alcohol-induced violence are also being reported frequently from across the district.

The police claimed that they were trying to involve civil society groups for sensitising people to give up liquor addiction.