Man stabs estranged wife in moving auto in Santacruz

“As she was lying injured on the street not too far from her home, a neighbour saw Tahira and brought her to her mother’s home. Her family then took her to VN Desai Hospital where she is undergoing treatment,” the police officer said

Mumbai: A man was booked for allegedly stabbing his estranged wife in a moving auto rickshaw in Santacruz East. The police have launched a manhunt for the accused, identified as Haneef Sarvar Khan.

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According to the police, Tahira Khan, 41, a Vakola resident, was on her way to work when Khan came from behind in an auto around 10.30am on Wednesday. “Khan pulled her inside the vehicle, claiming that he wanted to talk to her and stabbed her with a knife a few times,” said an officer from Vakola police station. “Tahira jumped off the moving autorickshaw to save herself.”

“The couple, who have two young daughters, had been facing issues for some time. They fought over petty things often. Therefore, they decided to get divorced. Their divorce was finalised on June 20,” added the officer. Even before the divorce, Tahira had been living in a rented room close to her sister’s place with the kids, he said, adding that Tahira worked as domestic help in multiple houses to support herself and her daughters.

On Wednesday, Tahira saw Khan inside an auto near Bharat Bank on CST Road, Tahira told the police, adding that he introduced her as his wife to the driver. “He pulled my hand and forced me inside the auto and told the driver to keep driving. Afterwards, he started screaming at me over all our domestic issues. When I started using the same tone to respond, he brought out a knife hidden in his clothes and stabbed me,” she told the police.

After taking a couple of stabs in her stomach, she jumped out of the moving autorickshaw to save herself, she told the police and added that after some time Khan jumped off the vehicle as well and ran in the opposite direction while the driver drove away.

“As she was lying injured on the street not too far from her home, a neighbour saw Tahira and brought her to her mother’s home. Her family then took her to VN Desai Hospital where she is undergoing treatment,” the police officer said.

Khan was booked under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 342 (wrongful confinement) of the Indian Penal Code.