- A 33-year-old woman attacked her mother-in-law with a kitchen knife in Secunderabad
- The victim was seriously injured and admitted to Gandhi Hospital in stable condition
- The attack stemmed from a long-standing property dispute between the two women
A long-running family property dispute turned violent in Hyderabad's Secunderabad after a 33-year-old woman allegedly attempted to murder her mother-in-law by attacking her with a kitchen knife inside their house in Chilkalguda.
The accused, D Vijayalakshmi, 33, was arrested by Chilkalguda Police within 24 hours of the incident and has been remanded to judicial custody.
According to the police, the incident occurred around 9 am on July 21 at Erukala Basti, Chilkalguda, when the victim, Devarai Padmavathi, 57, was alone on the first floor of her residence.
Investigators alleged that Vijayalakshmi entered the house armed with a sharp vegetable-cutting knife, grabbed her mother-in-law by the hair, dragged her inside and repeatedly attacked her with the intention of killing her.
The victim sustained serious injuries to her neck and fingers during the assault. Her cries for help alerted neighbours, who rushed to the house, intervened and rescued her. Padmavathi was immediately shifted to Gandhi Hospital, where she was admitted for emergency treatment. Police said her condition is currently stable.
During the investigation, police found that Padmavathi and Vijayalakshmi had been involved in a long-standing dispute over the ownership of the family house in Chilkalguda. Investigators believe the simmering property conflict culminated in the alleged knife attack.
Based on the victim's complaint, Chilkalguda Police registered Crime No. 356/2026 under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and launched an investigation.
A police team inspected the crime scene, collected forensic evidence, examined CCTV footage from the locality, recorded statements of witnesses and seized the knife allegedly used in the attack.
Acting on credible information, police arrested Vijayalakshmi on July 22. During interrogation, the accused allegedly admitted to committing the offence. Investigators also seized the clothes she was allegedly wearing during the attack as part of the evidence.
The accused was produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody, while further investigation is underway.
