THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Shemi, mother of Afaan, accused in the Venjaramoodu mass killing, said that she was attacked by her son. He asked his mother to pardon him and before she could say that she has pardoned him, he strangled her with a shawl from behind.

She said that she has a debt of Rs 35 lakh which her husband is not aware of. The incident happened on the day she was supposed to repay Rs 50,000. She said that when she went to her relative's house in Thattthumala to borrow money, they insulted her. Afaan could not bear this and said they had decided to commit suicide and had watched videos on YouTube with her younger son for it.

She said that when she regained consciousness, she saw the police breaking the window. Shemi said this when her statement was recorded by Kilimanoor circle inspector B Jayan at Sneha Sparsham Pyscho Social Rehabilitation Center, where she is housed. The care home is run by an ambulance driver at Melekuttimoodu in Venjaramoodu. Shemi had earlier said that she sustained injuries after falling from the bed.

She had the other day requested to release her son Afaan from jail. ‘I fell from the bed. That's what happened to me and I remember this. The police asked me twice. I remember sending my younger son to school that day and that's what I said.

Sir, can you release my son from jail. Please release him from jail. Lost my younger son and I have only my elder son. So, please release him from jail. My only hope is Afaan. Otherwise, I would have done something,’ Shemi said while talking to a media yesterday.

Afaan killed his younger brother, girlfriend, paternal grandmother, paternal uncle and his wife. Shemi is the lone person who survived from his attack and so her statement is crucial in the case.