Mumbai businessman in debt tries to murder wife and three kids while they are asleep

Man attacks family with a knife while they are sleeping; wife and 16-year-old son in a critical condition

A 48-year-old man reeling from a failed business allegedly tried to murder four members of his family in a Goregaon (west) building. Police said he critically injured his wife and son and also stabbed his daughters with knives late on Tuesday, before surrendering.

The accused had returned home in an inebriated condition.

According to the Goregaon police, the businessman ran a lottery shop in Pathanwadi, Malad (East). He had suffered a loss of several lakhs in his business and had also taken loans, which he was unable to repay.

On Tuesday night, the man returned home in an inebriated condition. Somewhere between 11.30pm on Tuesday and 1.30am on Wednesday, when the family was asleep, the businessman woke up and stabbed his wife, who was sleeping next to him in the bedroom, police said.

She ran to the hall where their three children were sleeping, police said.

He then allegedly attacked his 16-year-old son and then his two daughters, who are in their twenties. Police said the man stabbed his wife and son three to four times each.

All four family members were rushed to Siddharth hospital where his two daughters were said to be out of danger, but his wife and son are in a critical, but stable condition. The wife and her son were first rushed to Cooper hospital but due to lack of beds they were shifted to SRV hospital in Goregaon (West).

The Goregaon police conducted a panchnama of his house and found the two knives used to commit the crime.

The accused does not have any prior criminal record. The police said this was the first time he fought with his family. They said he was depressed and frustrated because of the financial losses. He was worried about how he would pay for his son’s studies and his daughters’ weddings.

He has been booked for attempt to murder and causing grievous hurt under section 307 and 326 of the Indian Penal Code respectively. He was produced before a magistrate court and remanded in police custody till Thursday.