PUNE: A 29-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly stabbing her 11-year-old son to death and attempting to kill her 13-year-old daughter at their rented home in Wagholi on Tuesday morning, police said.
The accused, identified as Soni Santosh Jaybhay, works at a departmental store. She was booked for murder and attempted murder, said senior inspector Sarjerao Kumbhar of Wagholi police. The boy, Sairaj, died of excessive bleeding, while the injured girl, Dhanashree, has been admitted to a hospital in Wagholi and is undergoing treatment.
Police said the family had moved into a society on BAIF Road in Wagholi only about eight days ago. The incident occurred around 9am, shortly after Soni’s husband, Santosh, left the house in search of work. The couple had reportedly argued earlier over several issues, including Santosh’s joblessness and his drinking habits.
According to investigators, after her husband left, Soni allegedly picked up a kitchen knife, stabbed her son and slit his throat. She then turned on her daughter, who managed to escape and ran out of the house screaming, alerting neighbours. Residents gathered outside the house and called the police.
Police said the accused locked herself inside the bathroom when people assembled outside, and officers had to persuade her to come out. Both children were rushed to hospital, where Sairaj was declared dead.
The family is originally from Nanded district and had been living in Pune for about a decade. Police said the family had shifted homes frequently due to the husband’s alcoholism.
