Dadar attacker sorry for not being able to kill his wife

A day after Vijay Sangelkar brutally attacked a chartered accountancy student at Dadar mistaking her for his wife, he was full of remorse.

A day after Vijay Sangelkar brutally attacked a chartered accountancy student at Dadar mistaking her for his wife, he was full of remorse.

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But the 35-year-old was sorry merely for the mistaken identity, not for his original intent.

Sangelkar, the police said, was unhappy that he could not kill his wife as he had planned.

On Monday, Sonal S Lapashiya, a student of chartered accountancy, was walking to a bus stop at 9am when the farmer attacked her with a sickle in full public view. Only when the victim’s scarf fell off her face did he realise she wasn’t his wife.

On Tuesday, a local court remanded Sangelkar to police custody till Friday. His wife told the police that she suspected him of having an illicit affair.

Sangelkar, a native of Sawantwadi in Konkan, and Vaishali got married in 2007 but their relationship soured within a year. “Many people, including the police, tried to help them reconcile, but to no avail,” said DCP Dattatray Karale.

On Sunday, Sangelkar came to Mumbai and bought a sickle in Andheri. He then met Vaishali, who lives with her mother in Nallasopara, but could not muster the courage to kill her in front of their four-year-old son.

He then asked her to accompany him to Dadar to talk, as Nallasopara station was crowded. Vaishali boarded the ladies compartment, but changed her mind and got off the train.

Sangelkar again convinced her to meet him at Dadar the next day. But on Monday, he attacked Lapashiya, mistaking her for Vaishali. Suspecting his intent, Vaishali had not gone to Dadar station on Monday.