KOLLAM: A woman and her five-year-old son had to stand outside the house for 21 hours, including one night, after her mother-in-law locked the house from inside. The mother-in-law opened the house at around 12 noon yesterday following the mediation talks held by the officials of the Child Rights Commission, Women's Commission and Child Welfare Committee who came to the place after strong protests from the locals.

DV Athulya, wife of Pratheesh Lal of Sreelakam in PK Junction, and her son had to go through this experience. The events leading up to the incident started around 3 pm on Thursday. Athulya's husband works in Gujarat. Athulya and her husband's family have been at loggerheads for years.

After Athulya went to school to pick up her son, Ajithakumari, the mother-in-law who lives in the family house in the same compound, came home and locked the gate and the door from inside. Athulya returned with her son at 3.45 pm, but Ajithakumari did not open the gate despite knocking several times. The mother-in-law did not come down despite the intervention of the locals who noticed them standing on the road. Other family members were contacted by phone but there was no response.

With this, Athulya and her son sat down in front of the gate. The Kottiyam police reached the spot after getting the information and asked them to either come to the station or go to their own family home, but Athulya did not relent. Alleging that the police are acting in a biased manner, the locals protested.

As night fell, the locals used a ladder to take the Athulya and son inside the compound. With this, Ajithakumari turned off the main switch. The locals pulled the cable from the neighbouring house and lit the place and gave them food. Local residents tried to break the lock of the gate at 11 pm, resulting in an altercation with the police.

Yesterday morning, Child Rights Commission Chairman KV Manoj Kumar, Women Commission Member Shahida Kamal and others reached the spot. After a discussion in the presence of the police, Ajithakumari admitted her daughter-in-law to the house and then went to the family home.

Minister Veena George said that she has directed to ensure protection for the child and mother.