'Mentally unstable' man holds mother hostage at knifepoint near Odisha Assembly

In a high drama near the Odisha Assembly building on Thursday, a youth held his mother hostage at knifepoint before security personnel deployed in the area rescued her safely, police said. The man, having psychiatric ailments, was arrested and sent to a hospital, police said.

While walking on Sachivalaya Marg near the state Assembly building, the youth suddenly brandished a knife and placed it on the throat of a woman who was accompanying him, from behind. As the area is under thick security cover in view of the ongoing Assembly session, police personnel quickly came to spot and started talking to the man who was still holding his mother. At one point, he was overpowered.

He was talking about activities of some politicians but his statements were not coherent, police said. Later, the woman identified him as her son.

"A youth, with known psychiatric ailments, held her mother hostage outside the security perimeter of the state Assembly. Police Officers patiently dealt with the hostage situation & safely rescued the woman," Commissionerate of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack, said in a Twitter post. "The concerned police officers will be suitably encouraged for patience & professionalism. The youth is being sent to the Psychiatry Department of SCB Medical College.

There has been no security breach," it said. After being rescued, the woman said her son had asked her to accompany him to a hospital for a check-up and the incident occurred all of a sudden when they were passing through that area.

Deputy Commissioner of Police U S Dash said preliminary inquiry and information obtained from the woman revealed that the youth requires immediate psychiatric treatment and steps have been taken to send him to hospital. He said that the incident took place outside the restricted zone and police officials deployed there handled the situation with patience and care.

Senior Congress leader and MLA Suresh Routray said such a high voltage drama which unfolded right near the state Assembly, which is in session, and the secretariat showed that law and order machinery in the state has collapsed. "It is a sign of intelligence failure," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)