Woman stabbed to death by brother-in-law in Deola, accused arrested

Nashik: The Deola police arrested a 36-year-old worker on Friday for allegedly stabbing his sister-in-law to death during a family dispute at Bhaur Phata in Deola taluka.

The deceased has been identified as Chhaya Jadhav (35). The accused, Shyam Mali (36), has been booked under sections 103(1) (murder), 109 (attempt to murder), 118(2) (causing hurt with dangerous weapons), and 351(4) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The police said the incident stemmed from ongoing domestic violence, with Mali allegedly assaulting his wife, Maya, to demand money due to his alcohol addiction. Unable to bear the abuse, Maya had recently returned to her parents’ home in Niphad, where her sister, Chhaya, was also present.

According to the police, Chhaya and her husband, Dnyaneshwar Jadhav, along with other family members, including her brother, Sonu Karate, visited Mali’s house on Friday morning to confront him. A heated argument broke out, during which Mali allegedly pulled out a knife and first attempted to attack his wife. Sonu intervened, preventing the assault. Mali then allegedly turned on Chhaya, blaming her for his marital issues, and stabbed her in the chest. She was taken to a rural hospital in Kalwan but was declared brought dead.

Sonu sustained serious injuries to his palms while trying to shield his sister from the attack.

The police said Mali fled the spot after the incident but was traced and arrested within hours following a tip-off. He was produced before a local court on Saturday and remanded in two days of police custody for further investigation.