- A woman was arrested for allegedly plotting to kill her husband by drugging and beating him in Baramati
- She tried to bury him alive inside a brick and cement structure on their property
- Labourers became suspicious and alerted police who rescued the unconscious victim
In what looks like an inspiration from the Bollywood crime-thriller 'Drishyam', a 38-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly plotting to kill her husband by digging a pit inside their house, drugging him, and beating him with a bat in Maharashtra's Baramati.
The murder planning began on July 30 when the woman, Sharmila Praveen Jagtap, mixed sleeping pills into her husband, Praveen Jagtap's, juice. He was then unconscious for the next two days. On August 1, when the victim was semi-conscious, the woman severely beat him with a bat.
Following this, she tried to bury him inside a square structure of bricks and cement that she got constructed by labourers. The accused laid her husband in it and tried to seal the structure by placing a slab of hardwood stone on top. However, the labourers became suspicious and informed the police - who quickly rescued Praveen.
The victim's father filed a complaint, and subsequently, Sharmila was arrested.
"She gave me sleeping pills, and I slept for two days. On the third day, I woke up slightly because she was beating me with a bat. I was telling her not to beat me, but she did not listen. After that, she picked me up and put me in the pit on the balcony. But when the workers came, they saw that I had moved my hand or leg. My life was saved because he called the police," Praveen said.
According to Praveen, his wife had also given sleeping pills to his mother, who was in the house during the incident. However, his mother regained consciousness when his wife was hitting him, following which she contacted her other son.
"When my brother opened the door, he saw me in the pit. He picked me up and took me to the hospital," he said.
Praveen alleged that there may be a black magic or witchcraft angle involved, as his wife had written 'no result' on July 13 and July 14 on the calendar - both days of new moon. "What does that mean?" he questioned.
He further said that the medical store owner who supplied his wife with heavy-duty sleeping pills without a doctor's prescription must face strict legal action. "Their license should be cancelled. This is one of my complaints," he said.
Praveen told the police that his wife's parents took their two children - a son and a daughter - with them, adding that he fears their lives may be in danger.
Praveen has appealed to the police that his in-laws have taken both of his children with them. He fears their lives may be in danger, so the administration should immediately hand over custody of the children to him.
