Man stabs sister-in-law over property dispute in Virar

Shrikant, the accused, wanted a share from his brother in a 120 square feet chawl

A 30-year-old man has been arrested by the Virar police for allegedly stabbing his sister-in-law to death over a property dispute.

Police said that after Shashikant’s arrest, he had confessed to the crime. (HT FILE)

Arti Gundale, 32, lived with her husband Shashikant, 36 and their children in a chawl in Virar (East). Shashikant’s mother had bequeathed the 120 square feet chawl to her eldest son, Shashikant, four years ago and the family had been staying there since then.

However, Shrikant, the younger brother of Shashikant, used to demand a share in the property, a Virar police official said. Late on Monday evening, an argument broke out between Arti and Shrikant, who was in an inebriated state. The police official said that in a fit of rage, Shrikant stabbed Arti in the back, chest and head areas with a knife. Arti died instantly. Her husband Shashikant was at work.

Arti’s neighbours rushed her to a hospital, but she was declared dead before admission, police said. “Based on Shashikant’s complaint, we arrested Shrikant from a locality in Virar where he was staying alone. He confessed to the crime and we have also seized the killer knife,” said the official. The accused was produced before the Vasai court on Tuesday and remanded in police custody.