Gym trainer goes berserk, stabs parents over property dispute

The accused – identified as Sankalp Bhatkar – stabbed his mother Vinita Bhatkar, 66 and his father Vilas Bhatkar, 71, in his parent’s house. While Sankalp’s parents lived at a housing society on Ghodbunder Road, Thane West, the accused lived at Kopri, Thane East.

Thane: A 31-year-old gym trainer went berserk in Thane on Thursday and stabbed his elderly parents over a property dispute and was on his way to harm his brother, aunt and in-laws. The Thane and Mumbai Police zeroed down on the accused and arrested him from Kurla.

As per the police, after stabbing his parents, Sankalp went to three different places with the intention of harming his relatives; he first went to his elder brother’s house on Ghodbunder Road in Thane, then to his aunt’s house in Prabhadevi and then to his in-laws’ house in Nehru Nagar in Kurla. (HT PHOTO)

The accused – identified as Sankalp Bhatkar – stabbed his mother Vinita Bhatkar, 66 and his father Vilas Bhatkar, 71, in his parent’s house. While Sankalp’s parents lived at a housing society on Ghodbunder Road, Thane West, the accused lived at Kopri, Thane East.

Sankalp had been having heated arguments with his parents over petty issues for the last two weeks, said a police officer, adding, “The accused was angry for some reason and visited his parent’s house on Thursday. In a fit of rage, he took a knife and stabbed his mother multiple times in the abdomen and chest. Sankalp then stabbed his father in the chest.”

While Vinita succumbed to her injuries, Vilas was taken to Vedant Hospital in Thane and was admitted to the ICU, added the officer.

As per the police, after stabbing his parents, Sankalp went to three different places with the intention of harming his relatives; he first went to his elder brother’s house on Ghodbunder Road in Thane, then to his aunt’s house in Prabhadevi and then to his in-laws’ house in Nehru Nagar in Kurla.

Assistant police inspector Mahesh Masurkar, Kasarvadavli police station, said, “We alerted Sankalp’s brother Sourabh Bhatkar and their aunt about the incident and told them he was on his way to their place. Later, he went to the Nehru Nagar area in Kurla to kill his in-laws. We alerted the Nehru Nagar police and sent them his photo. They activated Nirbhaya’s mobile squad and arrested him before he could reach the in-laws’ house.”

According to Sankalp’s family, he met a girl through the wedding portal Shadi.com and married her on January 23 this year. A physical fitness buff, he has been working in the fitness industry since 2015. He was awarded the prestigious “Mumbai Shree” award for winning the bodybuilding competition in 2019 and won a silver medal in another competition.

Speaking to HT, Swapnil, his brother-in-law, said that Sanklap was soft-spoken, but could also get very angry. He had also done a post-graduate diploma in photography. “Sankalp and his wife were living with his parents earlier, but had started living in a separate house ten days ago after developing differences with his parents over property,” said Swapnil.

Sankalp was engaged in the physical fitness sector for the last five to six years and was prone to taking steroids, said the investigating officials, adding, “The investigating officials said that he appeared to be mentally disturbed over family disputes, but refused to say clearly the nature of the disputes. The investigations are still on. We will be able to say more after they are over.”

A case was registered under sections 302 (punishment for murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and the relevant section of the Maharashtra Police Act. Masurkar said, “We have seized the murder weapon. We have conducted spot panchnama along with witnesses. The accused will be produced in court on Friday.”