Woman strangles 8-year-old son to death in Thane

Sheetal separated from her husband, Vaibhav, a resident of Vikhroli, 18 months ago and their divorce proceedings are ongoing. They were married 10 years ago.

A 35-year-old woman allegedly strangled her eight-year-old son to death, early on Thursday. The police arrested Sheetal Maner, a homemaker, who confessed to the crime and said she was struggling financially after separating from her husband.

A 35-year-old woman allegedly strangled her eight-year-old son to death. (Representative Image) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Sheetal and her son, Arnav, were living with her sister, Shweta Shirsat, 28, in Badlapur East.

Sheetal separated from her husband, Vaibhav, a resident of Vikhroli, 18 months ago and their divorce proceedings are ongoing. They were married 10 years ago.

According to Shweta’s statement to the police, she received a call from Sheetal around 5.30am, saying she had killed Arnav. Shweta, who was at her mother’s residence in Diva, alerted the police and her mother, Manda Shirsat, 53, who was on night duty at Thane Central Jail.

Shirsat then rushed back with her mother. When they reached the house, they found Arnav dead. By then, the police, too, had reached the spot.

“Maner said she killed her son as she was depressed and was worried about her son’s future as she was a homemaker,” said Harshal Kulkarni, investigation officer, Badlapur police station. “The boy’s body was handed over to his father for the final rites. We are yet to record his statement as he is in a state of shock. He said that Sheetal and he had differences, which is why they separated.”

Sheetal has been booked under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). She was produced in court and remanded in police custody till October 28.