Man gets life imprisonment for killing neighbour over dispute

A court in Thane district of Maharashtra has awarded life imprisonment to a 48-year-old man for murdering a woman in his neighbourhood and attempting to kill her son-in-law over a petty dispute.

District Judge G P Shirsat in his order on April 30 also imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 on the accused - Govind Ghorpade.

According to the prosecution, Ghorpade's son hurled a stone at a woman residing in their neighbourhood in Bhiwandi town here on November 30, 2016 when she went to fetch water from a common tap located near her house.

The woman complained to the accused about his son but the former misbehaved with her.

Later, when the woman's mother, identified as Malathi, and her husband Vicky Waghe went to Ghorpade, he had a heated argument with them following which he attacked them with a knife and injured them.

Waghe and his mother-in-law Malathi were rushed to a hospital where the woman succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment, the prosecution told the court.

The judge observed that in view of the statements of prosecution witnesses, medical and circumstantial evidence as well as seizure the knife, the accused was liable to be convicted under Indian Penal Code Sections 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder).

The prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt all charges against the accused, he said in his order.