Blaming her for son's death, Nagpur man kills daughter-in-law with axe

Police said the accused attacked his daughter-in-law with an axe after an argument in Nagpur. After the murder, the 70-year-old man jumped into a well to end his life, they added.

In Short

• Victim Lakshmi was blamed for her husband's death in 2019
• Her father-in-law attacked her while she was washing clothes
• The accused jumped into a well to end his life after the murder

A 70-year-old man in Maharashtra's Nagpur allegedly killed his 42-year-old widowed daughter-in-law by striking her with an axe over suspicion that she used to practice black magic, the police said. After the murder, the accused, Natthumal Bhagwan Pali, tried to end his life by jumping into a well, according to the police.

He was, however, rescued. The victim has been identified as Lakshmi Ravishankar Pali. Her father-in-law used to blame her for his son's death.

"Natthumal suspected Lakshmi of performing black magic on his son Ravishankar, causing his death in 2019. She had been living separately since then. The two frequently quarrelled," an official stated.

According to reports, while Lakshmi’s daughter was at work at the time of the incident, her son was out of the house at the time. She was washing clothes in the backyard when Natthumal allegedly attacked her with an axe.

She sustained severe injuries and died on the spot, a police official said. The incident took place on Saturday afternoon, following a verbal dispute on Friday night.

After the murder, Natthumal jumped into a well. He was rescued by fire brigade personnel and admitted to a hospital. His condition was said to be critical.

Police collected the necessary evidence from the scene and sent Lakshmi's body for post-mortem examination.

Investigators are probing if the suspicion of witchcraft against her was indeed the primary motive behind the murder or whether the incident stemmed from another family dispute.

- Ends
(With inputs from Yogesh Vasant Pande, PTI)