The accused, along with her brother-in-law, dumped the deceased’s body in the bushes at Chikhalwadi on December 3. (Representational image)

Mumbai: The Mumbai crime branch has arrested a 29-year-old woman for hacking her drunkard brother to death. “The accused, along with her brother-in-law, dumped the deceased’s body in the bushes at Chikhalwadi on December 3,” said police officials.

The accused, identified as Reshma Ovhal (29) and her brother-in-law Sumit Patankar (32), were arrested for murdering Ovhal’s brother Devendra Akhade. The RCF police station in Chembur registered a case of murder after Akhade’s body was found on the night of December 3.

The police were unable to establish the identity of the deceased. Hence, the crime branch began a parallel investigation in the murder case. The unit IX of crime branch kept a watch at the spot where the body was found. Besides, witnesses mentioned spotting a woman and a man in the area where the body was found.

“After keeping a watch for over four days, we spotted a suspicious woman and detained her for questioning. During the interrogation, she confessed to the killing and disclosed the name of her accomplice, who helped her execute the murder,” said a crime branch officer.

The officials said that Akhade was a habitual drunkard and he had been beating up family members often in an inebriated condition. “Ovhal hatched a plan to kill the Aakhade. She strangled the deceased to death. Ovhal and Patankar then tied the dead body’s legs and dumped his body at Chikhalwadi in Chem-bur,” officials informed.

The police are now gathering evidence from the residence where he was killed and are recording statements of the family members and neighbours to get clarity on Aakhade.

A case of murder has been registered against Ovhal and Patankar and they have been remanded in police custody for further investigation in the case.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a man committed suicide after allegedly killing his toddler son and 3-year-old daughter in Vashi Naka area in the metropolis’ Chembur suburb, police said.

The bodies of autorickshaw driver Dinesh Yadav (30), his one-year-old son Pranay and daughter Netra were discovered on Sunday morning, an official informed.

“Yadav first killed his two children and then hanged himself from the ceiling fan. It seems he was upset as his wife had left home after a quarrel and had not returned. His brother, who had been trying his phone for long, found the bodies after he reached Yadav’s home this morning,” said Zone VI deputy commissioner of Police Shashikumar Meena.