Maha: Woman kills drunkard husband

A 45-year-old woman from Maharashtra's Palghar district has been arrested for allegedly killing her husband after being fed up of his drinking habit, police said on Wednesday.

She later placed the body at the entrance her house in Vasai town to make it look like he died in sleep after heavy consumption of liquor, police spokesman Hemant Katkar said.

Ankush Chavan (45) and his wife Shobha Chavan lived in Valiv area of Vasai along with their two sons, aged 15 and 19.

The man used to frequently come home drunk and beat up his wife and children, Katkar said, adding that the victim also doubted his spouse's character.

On the night of November 30, the man again came home in an inebriated state and thrashed his wife.

When he fell asleep, the woman allegedly strangulated him to death with a 'dupatta' (a long cloth) by taking help of their 15-year-old son, the official said.

She later placed the body at the entrance of their house and told the elder son that the man died in sleep after being heavily drunk, he said.

The police initially registered a case of accidental death.

However, the autopsy report received by police on Tuesday stated strangulation as the possible cause of death, the official said.

The viscera was also preserved for further chemical and histo-pathological examination, he said.

The woman was arrested and a case was registered against her and her 15-year-old son under Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) and 34 (common intention), he said.

The accused minor has not been taken into custody so far, he added.