Man kills wife, injures son, attempts suicide in Thane

Financial and health problems may be the reason: police

A 46-year-old man allegedly slashed the wrists of his wife and son with a knife, before trying to kill himself at their Thane residence on Wednesday morning. While his wife died in the assault, he and his son survived. The accused, identified as Sitaram Pednekar (46), has been booked by the police.

According to the Vartak Nagar police, Sitaram is a resident of Vartak Nagar in Thane. He used to stay with his wife Vidya (42) and son Prathamesh (24) in a building near the railway reservation centre.

The incident was reported to the police around 5:30 am by neighbours. “Sitaram’s sister had been trying to reach him all through Tuesday night. When repeated phone calls elicited no response, she called up a neighbour on Wednesday morning. The neighbour rang the doorbell and knocked on the door, and after a long time, Prathamesh opened the door, bleeding from both hands and half unconscious. The entire family was rushed to the Thane Civil Hospital,” said Senior Police Inspector K G Gavit, Vartak Nagar police station.

Vidya was declared dead before admission due to excessive bleeding, while Prathamesh and Sitaram are under treatment. Doctors have told the police that Vidya suffered a deep cut to her right wrist, while Prathamesh and Sitaram had cuts in both their wrists.

The police have found two kitchen knives and a razorblade stained with blood, and a bottle of pesticide from the house. Medical examination has detected poison in Prathamesh and Sitaram’s blood.

“The family was going through financial and health problems for a long time. Sitaram had high blood pressure, while Vidya and Prathamesh had multiple health complications, which were getting difficult to deal with given the family’s dwindling finances. These seem to have driven Sitaram to take the extreme step,” Mr Gavit said.

The police have booked Sitaram for murder and attempt to murder under the Indian Penal Code and will arrest him after he is discharged. Prathamesh and Sitaram are out of danger now.

The incident comes close on the heels of a similar case in Kasar Wadavli, in which Hasnain Warekar (35) killed 14 members of his family, including his parents, wife, daughter, sisters and their children.