Man pulls off stunt to show children as dead in bid to force his estranged wife to return home

A 30-year-old man allegedly tried hanging his daughter and showing his son as dead in a bid to force his estranged wife to return to him. The man has been arrested on charges of attempt to murder. Police said the accused was an alcoholic and drug addict.

Police identified the man as Ajay Gaud, 30, who is a resident of Kurar in Malad (East). According to police, Gaud is a painter by profession, and his wife left him two years ago because he would hit her after getting drunk.

Police said the couple have four children, a 13-year-old daughter, an eight-year-old son, a three-year-old daughter and a nine-month-old daughter. Their mother took all the four children to Uttar Pradesh with her, police added.

Police further said last month, Gaud got two of his eldest children back home for sending them to school in the city, but he would hit them as they kept in touch with their mother over the phone. He was also angry that she did not want to return home, police added.

In an attempt to make his wife return home, Gaud pulled off a dangerous stunt, police said. Last week, on Saturday, he tried showing his wife that his son had died, police added.

The accused forced his son to lay on the floor, covered him with a white cloth, garlanded him and lit incense sticks near him, following which he clicked pictures, police said. The same day, he tied a noose around his daughter’s neck using a dupatta and tied one end of the stole to the ceiling fan and made her stand on a bucket, police added.

“He asked her to jump from the bucket and threatened her that he will kick the bucket if she did not jump. He was about to click pictures of her, when the girl got scared and started screaming for help. He had not locked the door, so neighbours who heard her cries rushed in and rescued her,” a police officer said.

Police have booked the accused for murder under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code, apart from other charges pertaining to threat and assault. Police said Gaud’s elder brother, Suchit, who was staying with him had gone out for work. He is the complainant in the case.

“The accused was arrested on Saturday. He is presently in police custody. He committed the crime because he was angry that his wife was not returning home,” said senior inspector Prakash Bele of Kurar police station.