Home guard booked for abetting suicide

A home guard attached to the Bhayander railway station has been charged for encouraging the suicide of his 5-month pregnant wife in her flat.

Though the incident occurred on 13 June and an ADR was initially registered but the victim’s father suspected foul play and a FIR was registered against her husband.

Babita Hankare (26) a nurse with a private hospital in Bhayander married Santosh (30) a home guard with the Bhayander railhead in December 2014. She was also five months pregnant. On June 12 the couple went to the victim sister’s house to celebrate her wedding anniversary and stayed overnight. At around 1.30 pm the next day a call came to her by Santosh that Babita had allegedly committed suicide by hanging. The Bhayander police was informed and a case of accidental death (ADR) was registered and the body sent for post mortem at the JJ Hospital and the viscera samples sent to the Kalina Forensic Laboratory, said an official of the Bhayander police. No suicide note was received from the spot, he said.

Meanwhile on Friday, Dilip Wadnagere, the father of the victim, who resides in Nagpur, suspected foul play and registered complaint against Santosh, said the official. “Based on the complaint we have charged Santosh under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 498 (harassment) of the IPC though we have not arrested him yet,” he said.

“My daughter worked as a nurse and was five months pregnant and she was a strong girl and never would have committed suicide. Santosh had killed her,” Babita’s father said.