Mumbai man murders sister-in-law with sickle, surrenders

The husband of the deceased told the police that the argument broke out on Friday when the man was fetching water from a public tank in Khar west area.

A 40-year-old woman bled to death on Friday in Khar, after allegedly being attacked by her brother in-law. The police said Yogesh Pokhre had surrendered himself and been charged with murdering Namita Pokhre with a sickle. Namita is survived by her husband and an eight-year-old son. The police have recovered the murder weapon and Pokhre has been arrested.

Mumbai woman killed by brother-in-law after fight over water (HT File (Representative Image))

On Friday evening, Namita was at her neighbour’s house in Bazaar Gully, in Khar Danda, till around 7.30 when she left to fill water. “She was filling water when Yogesh got into an argument with her. He then attacked her with a sickle. There were seven wounds on her head,” said inspector Nandkumar Gopale of Khar police station. The attack took place inside the Pokhre family’s one-room home.

Namita’s neighbours said she lay bleeding for 45 minutes inside the room and her mother in-law sat at the doorstep, but did not alert anyone. Namita’s husband was at work and her son was out playing. Her mother in-law allegedly walked out of the room when Pokhre attacked Namita with a sickle. Namita’s neighbours said they didn’t hear anything because of the noise of the downpour.

Locals said Namita and Yogesh had frequent altercations. Her neighbour alleged Namita’s mother-in-law had given misleading information. “When we asked the old lady, she said Namita had fallen. Later, she said Pokhre hit her with a clothes hanger,” she said.