Kamala Devi. Picture by Arup Sarkar

Durgapur, Sept. 20: A 65-year-old widow in Durgapur was allegedly kicked out by her two sons when she went to her house today armed with a court order directing police to ensure that she can live there.

No policeman had accompanied Kamala Devi when she went to her house in Natun Pally area despite the court order.

On the night of July 21, the lady’s sons — schoolteacher Pramod Chowdhury, 32, and share market agent Vinod Chowdhury — allegedly tried to set Kamala ablaze after she refused to sell the two-storeyed house and divide the money among them.

Kamala, whose husband Suresh Chowdhury wrote the house in her name before he died in 2007, was rescued by a neighbour.

Kaushal Sharma, the neighbour, informed the lady’s eldest son Ajit, 45, who lives separately in the same locality.

The next morning, Ajit, who left the house 25 years ago because of differences with his father, took Kamala to his home.

On September 2, Kamala went to the local A-zone phanri under Durgapur police station, who registered a general diary instead of a case of attempt to murder. She then moved the executive magistrate’s court.

Yesterday, the court directed the police to ensure that the woman could live in her house without any resistance.

Ajit, who owns a garment store, said that when he called up the police yesterday before taking his mother to her house, he was advised to go alone and call up the police if there was any problem. “The man who picked up the phone said he did not expect the sons to beat up the mother,” Ajit said.

After Kamala was driven out today, she and Ajit went to the police but the officer in charge was not there. They have decided to move court again.

While walking back to Ajit’s home, a teary eyed Kamala said: “Pramod and Vinod refused to let me in. They said they would not allow me to live in the house and kicked and pushed me. Then they shut the door on my face.” Ajit and his neighbours tried to make the two sons see sense but they refused to listen.

“I never thought that my own sons would try to burn me alive. They had been putting pressure on me to sell the house and give the money to them since the death of their father,” Kamala, whose two daughters are married, said.

“I get Rs 4,000 every month from my husband’s monthly income scheme. I used to give a portion of it to my two sons and also buy vegetables regularly,” she added.

Pramod and Vinod denied the allegations and accused their mother of torturing them. “My mother took a dowry of Rs 3 lakh during my marriage. But whenever I asked her about the money, she used to quarrel with me. She always fought with my wife and never tried to adjust. We are fed up with her and decided to live separately. So we had requested her to sell the house. We never tried to kill her,” Pramod said.

Vinod said Kamala had demanded rent for the office he had set up in the house. “How could a mother ask for rent from her son? We cannot live with her.”

Kamala’s lawyer Tusar Gupta said he would move court again. “According to a Supreme Court judgment, sons were bound to look after their depended parents. We will also complain to police commissioner Ajay Nand against the officer in charge of the A-zone phanri,” Gupta said.

Kamala said her sons tried to burn her following an altercation over payment of electricity bills on July 21. “Pramod brought a container of kerosene from the kitchen and sprinkled it on me as Vinod held me. I shouted for help. My neighbour Kaushal saved me,” she said.

The next day, Kamala sought the help of local Trinamul local councillor Rakhi Tiwari, who called the two sons at the party office.

“Her sons were desperate and tried to kill her. They told her to beg when we asked them what the elderly lady would do if she is driven out of the house. We called Ajit and requested him to take Kamala Devi with him,” said Raju Singh, a local Trinamul leader.

Ajit said: “I left home 25 years ago following some differences with my father. I did not keep any contact with my parents. But when I heard that my two brothers have driven out my mother, I couldn’t let her suffer. I brought her to my house and tried to convince my brothers to let her live in her home. But they did not listen.”