There can be nothing more ghastly than this. A 25-year-old man has been arrested in Kerala on charges of raping his mother.

"This was happening for some time and there used to be ruckus in their home over this. The neighbours were unhappy over this and filed a complaint and we arrested the man," a police official at the Pala police station near here told IANS.

The head of the family works as a casual labourer and is reported to be an alcoholic.

The accused - who at times used to work in a hotel at Pala - has confessed to the crime, he said.