Nagpur man kills daughter-in-law with axe over superstition, jumps into well
A 72-year-old man in Nagpur allegedly killed his daughter-in-law with an axe, believing she had used black magic to kill his son, then tried to end his life in a well
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An elderly man in Nagpur district killed his own daughter-in-law with an axe, allegedly out of superstition, believing she had used black magic to cause his son's death. Immediately after the killing, the 72-year-old father-in-law also tried to end his life by jumping into a well near the house.
The incident took place around 12.30 pm on Saturday at Pahune Layout in Peeli Nadi, under the Yashodharanagar police station area. The woman who died has been identified as Laxmi Pali, and the accused is her father-in-law, Natthulal Pali.
According to police, Laxmi's husband and Natthulal's son, Ravishankar, died in 2019. Since then, Laxmi had been living separately from her father-in-law, along with her 21-year-old daughter and 19-year-old son. However, Natthulal had come to suspect that Laxmi practised black magic and that this was the cause of his son's death. This suspicion often led to arguments between them.
This dispute was not new. On the night before the incident, that is Friday, the two had a heated argument over the same issue. Police say Natthulal had on several occasions resorted to violence and even threatened to kill Laxmi. On such occasions, the children at home or people nearby would intervene and calm the situation, and on Friday night too, neighbours had pacified the dispute.
But on Saturday, things did not settle. Around 12 pm, Laxmi was washing utensils and clothes at the back of the house when Natthulal again started abusing her. This time it did not stop at an argument - he picked up an axe kept in the house and struck Laxmi on the head. The injury was so severe that Laxmi died on the spot.
After the killing, Natthulal jumped into a nearby well. People in the area saw this and immediately informed the police. On receiving the information, Yashodharanagar police reached the spot and the fire department was also called. With the help of the fire brigade, Natthulal was pulled out of the well, but by then water had entered his lungs. His condition was said to be critical and he was immediately taken to hospital, where he was undergoing treatment.
After completing the panchnama at the scene, police sent Laxmi's body to Mayo Hospital for a post-mortem. A forensic team has collected evidence from the spot. Police are investigating the case further.
