Man kills wife,hangs self

Shabnam’s father had come to the couple’s house and heard them quarrel,and when he returned after a few hours,he saw a crowd outside the house locked from inside.

“From what the girl’s father told us,the couple were fighting when he had gone to their house at 9:30 am on Saturday. When he returned at about 11:45 am to check again,he saw a crowd. People told him they heard Shabnam scream for help and were waiting for the door to be opened. The door was forced open by those who had gathered,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Vikhroli Division) K K Khandale. Khandale said that neighbours said Shabnam had screamed for help and they heard her shout Mushtaq was assaulting her.

“They tried to get him to open the door,but he did not. By the time the door was opened,they found Shabnam dead and Mushtaq hanging from the ceiling,” said Khandale. The couple’s son was sitting in a corner and crying. Initial police investigations revealed ligature marks on Shabnam’s neck.

“We suspect she was strangulated by Mushtaq as there are marks on the neck that look like ligature marks. Mushtaq may have killed himself after realising the gravity of what he had done. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem after which the exact cause of death will be known,” said senior police inspector Mahipat Indalkar.

Shabnam’s father told police he had come to the couple’s house and heard them fight over Mushtaq being unemployed. He allegedly returned at 11:45 am as his calls to the couple went unanswered.