Mumbai: ‘Stressed over his future’, senior citizen drowns mentally challenged son in a drum, hangs self

A 67-YEAR-OLD man allegedly killed his mentally challenged son and hanged himself in his apartment in Mulund. Police said they found a note that mentioned that the man was stressed over his 35-year-old son’s future due to which he decided to take this step.

Police identified the man as Dushrat Bhat, and his son as Yogesh. Senior inspector Vijay Bhise of Mulund police station said, “Bhat has been taking care of his son since the day he was born. They would feed him, take him for shower and perform other basic necessities for him.”

According to police, Bhat, who was employed as an engineer with a private firm before he retired seven years ago, was tense about his son’s future in case there was no one left to care for him.

Police said the incident took place between 11 pm on Saturday and 9 am on Sunday. Bhat was staying in a two-bedroom flat at Crown Jewel Apartment in Yogi Hills with his wife and Yogesh. He also has three daughters, who are married and stay with their husbands, police added.

Police further said on Saturday night, Bhat mixed a sedative in an ice cream and gave it to his wife, and fed his son a sedative as well. “When his wife was asleep in the bedroom, Bhat took his son and killed him by drowning him in a drum,” Bhise said, adding that he then hanged himself in the living room.

Bhat’s wife woke up on Sunday morning and found her husband hanging in the living room, following which she went to the bedroom to check on her son and found his body inside the drum, police said.

With the help of local residents, the wife informed police after which a team was dispatched and the bodies were taken to a hospital, where doctors declared death before admission.

Police have registered a case of murder against Bhat, while an accidental death report was filed against the case of death by suicide.