20-year-old kills aunt over family dispute

A 20-year-old man has been arrested for stabbing his aunt to death in front of her 11-year-old son over a dispute between their families in Mumbai.

MUMBAI: A 20-year-old was arrested on Tuesday for stabbing his aunt with a chopper in front of her 11-year-old son. The man killed his aunt over some disputes between the two families, police sources said. According to the police, the victim, Shabana Khan, 31, was at her house on the second floor of the Queen’s Avenue building in Bhayander East when her nephew, Dishaan Khan, entered her house, stabbed and slit her throat following a fight between their parents.

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“Dishaan has told us that his mother was not on good terms with Shabana and his grandfather and often fought with each other. Both the families stayed in opposite buildings,” said a police officer.

The officer said that as Dishaan entered her house picked up a kitchen knife from Shabana’s house and lunged towards Shabana’s son, the victim threw herself in front of the accused to stop him from attacking her son. Dishaan then stabbed her with the knife and also slit her throat. During this, the 11-year-old boy fled from the room and locked himself in the bathroom of their flat.

After the murder, Dishaan threw the knife on the spot and fled. After some time when all became quiet, Shabana’s son came out of the bathroom and raised an alarm after which the neighbours called the police and reported the incident. Shabana was rushed to the nearby hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.

“We traced Dishaan at the factory where he worked in Bhayander West and arrested him. We have booked him under section 302 (murder) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code,” said Jaywant Bajbale, deputy commissioner of police, Mira-Bhayandar police.

The police are at present recording statements from the victim’s son and her in-laws to find out what was the cause of the fight between the two families. “Dishaan has told us some facts which we are cross-checking and verifying the same, as the primary target of Dishaan was his cousin and not his aunt,” said Bajbale.