Husband, son and nephew held for woman’s murder

PALGHAR:THE Nalla Sopara police on Wednesday arrested a 45-yearold man, his son and nephew for allegedly murdering his 38-yearold wife. Police said the three accused committed the murder owing to a property dispute. On January 21, Mahesh Kumar, 18, stabbed his mother Kusum Prajapati to death, after slashing her neck. He and his cousin Mahendra Kumar, 20, then dumped Prajapati’s body in the bushes near Nalla Sopara railway station. The youth committed the crime at the behest of Mahesh’s father Ram Milan Ram Pyare Prajapati, police said.

Police had found Prajapati’s body from the bushes at an isolated spot near the station with multiple injuries. Through call data records, police traced Mahesh and Mahendra, who confessed

to Ram’s alleged role in the murder.

Police said Prajapati was Ram’s second wife. Two years ago, Ram had sold Prajapati’s house at Jata Shankar chawl in Santosh Bhuwan, Nalla Sopara (East), to a Mira Road builder for ₹6 lakh. Ram, who stayed with his third wife and Prajapati’s four children in Hawaipada, refused to give Prajapati her share of money from the sale of the house, following which the two would often get into heated arguments, police inspector Kerubhau Kolhe from Nalla Sopara police station said. The builder then asked Ram to refund the money as Prajapati refused to vacate the house without getting her share. Kolhe said Ram then hatched a plan to murder Prajapati, with Mahesh and Mahendra’s help.