Nagpur man kills daughter-in-law with axe over son's death, jumps into well
Suspecting his daughter-in-law of witchcraft in his son's 2019 death, a Nagpur man hacked her to death and then jumped into a well
Images are not validated/verified
An elderly man allegedly killed his daughter-in-law with an axe on Saturday in the Pahune Layout area near Pili Nadi, under the Yashodhara Nagar police station limits in Nagpur. The woman, Laxmi Ravishankar Pali (40-45), died on the spot, while the accused, her father-in-law Natthulal Pali (70), later jumped into a well.
According to police, the incident took place around 12:15 pm. At the time, Laxmi's daughter had gone to work and her son was also out of the house. Laxmi was washing clothes behind the house when Natthulal attacked her with an axe, taking advantage of the opportunity. She died on the spot from the severe injuries.
After the killing, Natthulal left the house and jumped into a well near a temple about 100 metres away. Local corporators and residents who saw this alerted the police control room. A team from Yashodhara Nagar police station reached the spot on getting the information. With the help of local residents, police pulled Natthulal out of the well and admitted him to hospital. Police said water entering his body had affected his lungs and his condition remains critical.
Yashodhara Nagar police said Natthulal's son had died in 2019. Since his son's death, Natthulal had grown suspicious of his daughter-in-law, believing that Laxmi had used black magic to kill his son. This suspicion led to frequent quarrels between the two. Police also learnt that Natthulal used to threaten Laxmi that he would kill her and then take his own life.
The two had been arguing since Friday evening, and the dispute escalated through Saturday afternoon. Around 12:15 pm, a fresh heated exchange broke out between them, during which an enraged Natthulal picked up an axe and attacked Laxmi. She died on the spot from the severe blows. On being informed, a Yashodhara Nagar police team reached the spot, conducted the panchnama and sent the body for post-mortem. A murder case has been registered against Natthulal. Natthulal's wife is also reported to be in poor mental health. The killing, rooted in suspicion and superstition, has left the Pahune Layout area in mourning.
