Mumbai: A man allegedly killed his wife in Goregaon (West) on Sunday. The accused, Pratap Baskoti, 65, reportedly locked his wife, Ragini Sawardekar, 63, inside an iron bed frame, causing her to lose consciousness and die.
Baskoti has since fled the scene, and the exact motive behind the murder is yet to be determined. Police suspect a dispute over family matters, money or property may have led to the crime.
According to the FIR, the couple lived in a chawl in Motilal Nagar-1. On Sunday morning at around 8.45am, Baskoti handed over the house key to a neighbour named Ajay, saying he and his wife were going to South Mumbai. When they did not return for several days, and a foul smell began emanating from the house, other neighbours grew suspicious.
On May 7, the neighbour attempted to contact the couple, but both their mobile phones were switched off. The neighbour then informed Ragini’s nephew, Nitin Ambekar, who lives in Andheri (West). The neighbours told him that Baskoti had mentioned they were going to South Mumbai, but neither of them had returned since.
Concerned by the smell and lack of communication, the neighbours contacted the police. Officers arrived at the residence on May 7 and broke open the door, only to discover Ragini’s body inside the iron bed frame. She was taken to Trauma Hospital in Jogeshwari (East), where doctors pronounced her dead at 7.17pm.
The police have registered a murder case against Pratap Baskoti and launched a manhunt.
