Maha: Woman, 2 friends booked for abetting husband's suicide

A woman and two of her friends have been booked for allegedly abetting her husband's suicide in Thane city of Maharashtra, police said on Sunday.

The main accused, Suvarna Sontakke, got married to Gajanan Sontakke (32), a resident of Ambewadi locality here, in 2013 and the couple had two children.

The woman started working since July this year and developed friendship with a man in her office, to which her husband objected, a police spokesperson said.

This led to frequent quarrels between the couple following which the husband allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at their home on November 22, she said.

Before taking the extreme step, the victim, on November 18, recorded a video in which he purportedly stated that he was fed up of harassment by his wife and her two friends, including a man, and was planning to commit suicide.

He then circulated the video through social media to his relatives who even tried to convince him not to end his life, the official said.

The victim's mother lodged a police complaint in this connection on Friday.

Based on the complaint, the police on Saturday registered an FIR against the main accused and her two friends - Shakira Banu Shaikh and Lakhan Kasbe, the official said.

The accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 34 (common intention), she said, adding that no arrest has been made so far.