Your mother is suffering from bipolar disorder, which is a mental illness that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression) . She may be experiencing symptoms such as irritability, impulsiveness, aggression, delusions, hallucinations, or suicidal thoughts . She may also have difficulty in managing her finances, relationships, and daily activities .
As her son, you have a legal obligation to maintain and support her under the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act, 1956 (HAMA) . This act provides that a Hindu is bound to maintain his or her aged or infirm parents if they are unable to maintain themselves out of their own earnings . The amount of maintenance depends on various factors such as the position and status of the parties, the reasonable wants and claims of the claimant, the value of the claimant’s property and income, and the number of persons entitled to be maintained .
However, you also have a right to protect yourself and your wife from any harassment, defamation, or threats from your mother. You can take legal action against her if she is causing you any harm or injury. You can file a complaint with the police or the court under various laws such as the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 (PWDVA), the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC), or the Mental Health Care Act, 2017 (MHCA) .
The PWDVA provides protection to women from any form of domestic violence by any relative of the husband or the male partner . It also empowers the court to pass various orders such as protection orders, residence orders, monetary relief orders, custody orders, or compensation orders in favour of the aggrieved woman . You can file an application under this act on behalf of your wife if your mother is abusing her physically, mentally, emotionally, or economically .
The IPC defines various offences such as criminal intimidation, defamation, assault, hurt, wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement, etc. that can be committed by any person against another person . You can file a criminal case against your mother if she is committing any of these offences against you or your wife .
The MHCA provides for the rights and care of persons with mental illness and their access to mental health services . It also provides for the procedure for admission and discharge of persons with mental illness in mental health establishments . You can file an application under this act for the assessment and treatment of your mother if she is suffering from a severe mental disorder that requires immediate intervention .