'Slits throat with cutter': Woman killed for refusing to be ‘second wife’

BHOPAL: A 26-year-old man allegedly slit the throat of a young woman in Mandideep after she refused to live with him as his “second wife”, police said, adding that the accused was arrested within 24 hours of the murder after a massive manhunt.

The gruesome killing took place in Prem Nagar Ward-9 of Mandideep in Raisen district on Thursday afternoon and triggered panic in the locality. Police said the accused, identified as Manoj Ahirwar, a resident of Bhairopur village in Sehore district, was known to the victim and had allegedly been pressuring her to live with him despite being already married.

According to investigators, the accused reached the woman’s house around 2.30 pm on Thursday and tried to convince her to live with him as his second wife. The woman and her mother opposed the proposal and asked him to leave the house. Police said the argument soon escalated, and the accused allegedly slit the woman’s throat with a sharp cutter.

The victim died on the spot, while her mother sustained injuries while trying to save her daughter. The brutal nature of the crime shocked residents, with crowds gathering outside the house soon after news of the murder spread.

Police formed a special team to trace the accused, activating informers and conducting raids at multiple locations. Officials said the accused fled towards Bhopal after the murder but was tracked down and arrested within a day.

During interrogation, police said, the accused confessed to the crime and admitted he was angry over the woman repeatedly rejecting his proposal. He was later produced before a court and sent to jail.

Police registered a case of murder and other offences, and further investigation is underway.