Mumbai:
A 65-year-old woman's son-in-law has been detained for giving
supari (contract for killing) to another man to kill her.
According to the police, the accused, identified as Paresh Thakkar, allegedly offered a
supari for the killing of his mother-in-law, as he was fed up with her taunts over his unemployment.
The police are also investigating the role played by the woman's daughter in her murder, and believe she was in on the plan.
On Wednesday, the Thane Nagar police had found the body of Maya Bhaulekar at her residence near Ashok Talkies, Thane station. "The woman's head had been smashed with a heavy object and she was found in a pool of blood," said Madan Ballal, senior police inspector in the Thane Crime Branch.
The police smelt a rat when they noticed a spot of blood on the shirt worn by a local who they were speaking to in the course of their investigations. "When we asked the person who he was, he identified himself as Anil Raybole, and said he was a friend of Paresh Thakkar, the murder victim's son-in-law. When we questioned him where he was at the time of the murder, he said that he was at home. But when we questioned his wife, she said that Mr Raybole had told her that he had seen Mrs Bhaulekar fall, and then left for home," said Mr Ballal.
Further sleuthing indicated that someone who was aware of the locality and acquainted with the victim had committed the murder.
"When our officers interrogated Raybole, he admitted to the murder and told us that he smashed Maya's head with a hammer and then fled from the spot," said Milind Bharambe, additional commissioner of police, Thane Crime Branch.
Mr Raybole then revealed that he had received Rs 50,000 from Mr Thakkar, who was married to the victim's daughter Sonali and use to stay with her. "Paresh did not do any work. Fed up with Maya's incessant taunts, he decided to kill his mother-in-law with the help of Raybole," said Pravin Pawar, deputy commissioner of police, Thane Crime Branch.