Gadchiroli Oct. 18 (District Correspondent) In a sensational incident, two lady members of a family poisoned and killed as many as five members of the family with a heavy metal-based poison.
These family members had died with symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting, body ache and cardio respiratory failure over a period of 20 days. While 3 members died in a hospital in Nagpur, 2 others died in Chandrapur.
The names of the deceased persons are given as Shankar Kumbhare and his wife Vijaya Kumbhare, daughter Komal Dahagaokar, son Roshan Kumbhare and daughter in law Ananda alias Varsha Urade.
Mr. Nilotpal, SP gave this information in a press conference in his office here this afternoon. Mr. Kumar Chinta, Anuj Tare, Yatish Deshmukh, Additional SPs, Dr. Rathod, SDPO were also present at the press conference.
On Sept. 9 last, Shankar Kumbhare and his wife Vijaya Kumbhare fell ill all of a sudden upon which they were admitted in the Aheri hospital and then shifted to Chandrapur. However, Shankar Kumbhare died on Sept. 26 and his wife too breathed her last on Sept. 27.
Gadchiroli Police, seeing the suspicious nature of death, took the matter seriously and commenced investigation accordingly. Aheri Additional SP Yatish Deshmukh, SDPO Dr. Sudarshan Rathod, PSO Manoj Kalbande and Inspector of Local Crime Branch Ulhas Bhusari conducted the investigation in depth. The police have finally arrested two ladies accused in this case this morning. Sanghamitra Kumbhare, the wife and Ms. Roza Ramteke, aunt of Roshan are the names of the accused.
When the family was in a shock of these deaths, one Komal Dahagaokar, the daughter of Shankar who was residing at Gad Aheri and son Roshan Kumbhare as well as daughter in law Ananda alias Varsha Urade, resident of Mul also fell ill and were admitted in different hospitals for the treatment. Even after due treatment, their health did not improve and finally all of them died on different dates.
While Komal Dahagaokar died on Oct. 8, Ananada Urade died on Oct. 14 and Roshan Kumbhare died on Oct. 15 last.
On getting the news of parent’s health, their elder son Sagar Kumbhare, who has been living in New Delhi, also came to Chandrapur to meet them. However, on returning to Delhi, he also fell ill. He has been admitted in Delhi hospital. Not only this, the driver of Kumbhares, who drove Shankar Kumbhare and Vijaya to Chandrapur hospital also fell ill from the very next day of his travel. He has now been admitted in the Chandrapur hospital and is undergoing treatment. The brother-in-law of Shankar Kumbhare who had also come to meet and help the relatives has also fallen ill and has been admitted in the hospital. The health of all the three is however stated to stable.
Primarily, the main reason for killing is given as alleged mental torture by in laws including husband and property dispute over an ancestral property. Further investigation is being done by Gadchiroli Police. The possibility of more accused involvement is also being probed by the police.
An offence under section 302, 307, 328, 120 (B) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code The people of Aheri and nearby areas have been hotly discussing about these deaths and different rumours were spread. After the arrest of the women from the same family, all these rumours have stopped and the police investigation into this difficult case is being appreciated.
