Rubina, the third wife of BJP-supported Mandsaur municipal councillor Shahid Meo, was stabbed to death on Thursday evening in Madhya Pradesh. But the investigation took an unexpected turn after police alleged that the murder was allegedly carried out by Shahid Meo's own son from his first marriage.
According to investigators, the prime accused is Sahil, who police say was furious over his father's third marriage and had been nursing a deep grudge against Rubina for months. Unable to accept the new relationship, Sahil allegedly plotted to eliminate his stepmother.
The murder took place around 5:30 pm in Abhinandan Nagar under Kotwali police station limits. Rubina had just returned from her parents' home in Madarpura and was getting down from an auto-rickshaw near her rented house when two youths on an Apache motorcycle approached her. One of them launched an attack, stabbing her repeatedly in the stomach, chest and head. Before bystanders could react, the attackers fled the scene.
A critically injured Rubina was rushed by Shahid Meo to the district hospital, where doctors declared her dead. In an initial statement, the councillor claimed ignorance about the motive. "I was in the market when I got a call that my wife had been stabbed. I have no enmity with anyone," he told police.
Investigators faced an early hurdle as a power outage at the time of the attack rendered nearby CCTV cameras non-functional. However, footage from surrounding areas and technical evidence led police to Sahil. During questioning, his alleged resentment over his father's remarriage emerged as the key motive.
Police say Sahil was assisted by another accused, Sohail. Both were arrested within 24 hours, and a case has been registered under Section 302 (murder).
The case has also brought the complex personal histories of both the victim and the counsellor into focus. Rubina's marriage to Shahid Meo seven months ago was her fourth. She has two young children from a previous marriage. Shahid Meo, too, had married three times; he has three children from his first wife, including Sahil, and two from his second wife.
Additional SP T S Baghel confirmed that long-standing family discord played a central role. "The children from the first marriage were unhappy and could not accept the third marriage. This resentment culminated in the crime," he said.
