A chilling act of violence has rocked Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh, a 20-year-old NEET aspirant brutally attacked his parents. The assault, triggered by a reprimand for excessive mobile phone use, resulted in the death of his mother and left his father critically injured. The shocking incident took place in Waraseoni, a tribal-dominated area of Balaghat district. The accused, Satyam Katre, allegedly attacked his parents, Pratibha and Kishore Katre, multiple times on the head with an iron rod after they confronted him about his phone addiction, which was affecting his NEET preparation.
At around 11 pm, he assaulted his parents, leaving them unconscious and bleeding profusely. Following the attack, he informed close relatives, who then alerted the police through the Dial 100 emergency response service. “It was around 11.15 pm on 3 March that the Dial 100 received information about the incident, and a first response vehicle (FRV) rushed to the spot. On learning about it, we also reached the location. The severely injured couple was taken to the nearby Civil Hospital, but due to their critical condition, they were referred to a hospital in Gondia, Maharashtra, for life-saving treatment,” said Waraseoni Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Abhishek Choudhary on Wednesday.
Pratibha Katre succumbed to her injuries late on Tuesday night, while Kishore Katre is reportedly stable but remains in the ICU.“The youth was taken into custody early on Tuesday and initially booked for the attempted murder of his parents. However, after his mother’s death, the charge of murder was also added,” Choudhary stated.
During questioning, the accused admitted to being excessively addicted to his mobile phone, spending up to 5-6 hours at a stretch on it. He reportedly isolated himself in his room and had very few friends due to his addiction. His parents frequently urged him to reduce his screen time and focus on his studies. Further investigation revealed that his parents had enrolled him in a private coaching centre in Kota in May 2024, but he left after four to five months and returned home. He was an average student and had been preparing for NEET at home.