Depressed mother kills children, attempts suicide

Navi Mumbai: A 32-year-old woman in Ghansoli village killed her children, aged four and one, and attempted to die by suicide on Sunday evening

Navi Mumbai: A 32-year-old woman in Ghansoli village killed her children, aged four and one, and attempted to die by suicide on Sunday evening.

Navi Mumbai, India - October 31, 2022: Rabale police carry out panchnama at the residence of Gujar family after the mother killed her one-year-old son and four-year-old daughter and tried to kill herself too, at Ghansholi, in Navi Mumbai, India, on Monday, October 31, 2022. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

The woman identified as Pushpa Gurjar, a native of Rajasthan, had reportedly told her husband that she was feeling depressed and wanted to return to her parents, a relative said.

Gurjar’s husband, Veniram Gurjar (42), sold ice-creams on a hand cart. Gurjar came to the city a year ago with her daughter, Deepu, then three years old and her son, Rahul, who was a few weeks old at the time. The child turned one on October 28.

“Prima facie, depression seems to have led to this. The woman is in the hospital and is out of danger,” police inspector (crime) of Rabale police station, Bhaguji Auti said.

According to Mahendra Gurjar (22), a relative of the family who resides in Kanjurmarg, Gurjar, who was likely suffering from post-partum depression, told Veniram that she was unhappy living in their confined one-room house, and was experiencing extreme mood-swings.

“Her husband had a loan to pay back and he had decided to stay here to earn money. Seeing his wife’s state of mind, he told her that he will enquire if anyone from their neighbourhood was travelling to Rajasthan and with whom she and their children could travel. He said he would do so after Diwali season, which was peak time for his business,” Mahendra said.

On Sunday, Gurjar reportedly told Veniram that she was feeling depressed and experiencing extreme mood swings. Veniram took her to a temple in Belapur and after they returned home, Veniram left for work, Mahendra said.

In the afternoon, Gurjar called her husband to ask if he was coming for lunch. He reportedly told her that he will come home for evening tea. “She told him you stay busy in your work, and hung up. He felt something was not right and tried calling her but found the phone switched off. He returned for home and found that she was not opening the door,” Mahendra said.

“[Veniram] called up his neighbours to help break the door open. Once they entered, they found her attempting to die by suicide, and immediately brought her down. But the children were dead. She slit their throat with a knife,” police inspector Auti said.

“She keeps saying that she doesn’t know what got into her and why she did this. Both the husband and wife are shattered,” Mahendra said.