An Indian woman with COVID-19 has reportedly infected her daughter-in-law with the virus by forcibly cuddling her so they did not have to socially distance.

The incident took place in the village of Somaipeta in the district of Rajanna Siricilla in the Indian state of Telangana.

The woman, name not disclosed, was in quarantine at home and could not stand the social distancing imposed by her family, and in particular her daughter-in-law, who did not want to catch the disease, according to the news site India Today.

She was made to isolate alone and had food passed to her, while her grandchildren were not allowed to visit her.

In a fit of frustration, the woman then suddenly closed the distance and embraced her daughter-in-law, said to be in her mid-20s, on purpose and ended up infecting her with COVID-19.

The young woman told health officials during a video interview last week: “My mother-in-law hugged me saying that I should also get infected with COVID-19.”

She also claimed that her mother-in-law told her “do all of you want to live happily when I die?” before forcibly hugging her.

After the incident, the daughter-in-law took her two children to her sister’s home in the village of Thimmapur in the same district where she is also currently receiving treatment.

The infected mother, whose husband left to work as a taxi driver in the neighbouring state of Odisha, is now isolating at her sister’s house with her children, according to India Today.

It is unclear if the local health authorities are planning to take action against the mother-in-law.