Malwani case: Women’s panel steps in

The Maharashtra State Commission for Women has taken up the case of 19-year-old Vaibhavi Pednekar, whose mother, Smita, 47, and lover, Sanjay Kumar, 36, allegedly tried to strangle her on January 28 near Umbhermali village on National Highway 3.

The Maharashtra State Commission for Women has taken up the case of 19-year-old Vaibhavi Pednekar, whose mother, Smita, 47, and lover, Sanjay Kumar, 36, allegedly tried to strangle her on January 28 near Umbhermali village on National Highway 3.

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“We have issued a letter to Deepak Devraj, deputy superintendent of police for Thane rural, giving strict instructions to catch Kumar as soon as possible. The girl has also been receiving threatening messages and we have asked Devraj to probe this matter,” said Kanta Pandit, deputy secretary, Maharashtra State Commission for Women.

“It is a miracle that the girl is alive and we strongly pledge that the perpetrators are brought to justice,” Pandit added.

The commission has also issued instructions to the District Woman and Child Development officer for Thane to provide requisite assistance to the girl.

“As the girl only has a brother from her immediate family who is also ill, we have asked the District Woman and Child Development officer to give her the requisite counselling, moral support and medical help. It is of utmost importance that she recovers physically and mentally,” said Pandit.

“Once she has completely recovered, we would even work to get her a job of her choice and help her in every possible way so that she can lead a comfortable life,” she added

Meanwhile, the Kasara police are planning to dispatch two independent police teams to Madhya Pradesh and Nagpur while a team is already at work in Mumbai to locate Kumar.

“Kumar is a native of Madhya Pradesh while his wife’s family hails from Nagpur. We are planning to dispatch two teams to both the places while a manhunt has already been initiated for him in Mumbai,” said Rajesh Gawli, assistant inspector of Kasara police station.

The police said that Kumar did not have a permanent address in the city and used to live at a rented apartment close to Pednekar’s Malwani residence.

“Because he does not have a permanent address, it is difficult to trace him. Not many people are aware of his whereabouts. Besides, his wife and two kids have spent most of their time in Nagpur,” said Gawli.

Meanwhile, Smita, a 47-year-old retired bank employee (voluntary retirement), is in the magistrate’s custody at Adharwada jail in Kalyan.

“Smita was arrested from near her residence on January 31 and after being produced before the Shahapur court the following day. She was remanded in police custody till February 4,” said Gawli.

‘How could she let him kill her own daughter?’

Vaibhavi Pednekar told the police that she wished that her mother, Smita, and the mother’s lover were appropriately punished.

“My mother was watching quietly when Kumar was strangling me. How could she let him kill her own daughter when she could see me struggling and calling out to her for help?” asked Vaibhavi, a commerce student, to the police.

Vaibhavi said Kumar got acquainted with the family six years ago. “Kumar began giving ayurvedic treatment to my brother who has been ill for many years,” she said in her police statement.

Vaibhavi said she was against the relationship because her mother spent all her father’s money on Kumar.

The girl said Kumar and her mother convinced her into accompanying them to Nashik by saying that a business partner was going to give them cash. Since Vaibhavi and her mother had a joint account, the partner would require both their signatures, they told her. “They told me we would return on the same day. But when we reached, they made excuses about not being able to collect the money,” she said.

The next morning, Vaibhavi insisted on returning to Mumbai immediately, the police said.

‘My mother said there were no bus tickets available and that it would be better if I returned home with them later. I had no choice but to agree,” she told the police.

HT/Puja Changoiwala