JHARSUGUDA: In a tragic incident, a mother and her two daughters sustained serious injuries after jumping from their rooftop late on Thursday night in Jharsuguda.
Early on Friday morning, the disturbing scene unfolded on the road between Gwalpada and Telibhata areas, near a mosque where the three women, aged 48, 25, and 22, were found lying naked on the road. A local woman who first saw them immediately covered them with clothes and alerted Jharsuguda police.
As police took the women inside their house, the daughters reacted violently, screaming. After much effort, police managed to control the situation and admitted all three to the district headquarters hospital.
The mother suffered a broken leg and severe waist injuries from the fall, while the elder daughter fractured a leg. Due to the severity of their injuries, they were later shifted to VSS MCH. Both daughters are currently being treated in the women’s ward of the Medicine department but reportedly remain mentally unstable.
Sources said, the younger daughter was talking incoherently about religion and prayers, while the elder one exhibited erratic behaviour.
Neighbours said they heard unusual sounds from the rooftop the previous night where candles were lit. During initial police interrogation, the mother revealed the younger daughter became violent while reading some religious books and tore off her clothes and ran around. This apparently triggered a similar reaction from the elder daughter. Both then tore off their mother’s clothes and jumped from the rooftop. Unable to move due to their injuries, they remained on the road until discovered.
The mother stated that they were engaged in prayers but believed they were attacked by an evil spirit due to some mistake during the ritual. Both daughters are educated.
