Two Women Arrested for Poisoning Five Family Members in Gadchiroli
In Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, two women have been arrested on charges of employing harmful heavy metal Thallium to fatally poison five members of their own family over a span of 20 days, disguising the deaths as mere instances of food poisoning. This development was reported by both the police and the media on Wednesday.
The two women, identified as Sanghamitra Kumbhare (22) and Rosa Ramteke (36), purportedly procured Thallium from Telangana and covertly introduced the poison into the victims' food and water. Additionally, two family members and a driver fell critically ill, displaying similar symptoms.
The sudden and unexplained deaths of the five family members over the course of a single month raised suspicions and confused both relatives and locals. This incident unfolded between September 26 and October 15. The victims of this tragic act exhibited a range of symptoms, including tingling limbs, severe lower back pain, difficulty in speaking, darkened lips, headaches, and speech impediments.
It is believed that one of the accused individuals had deep-seated resentment due to recurrent taunts from her husband and in-laws. In contrast, the other suspect was embroiled in disputes with the victims concerning the division of their ancestral property.
Official statements indicate that the chain of events commenced with Shankar Kumbhare and his wife Vijaya Kumbhare, residents of Mahagaon village in Aheri tehsil, falling ill on September 20. Their condition rapidly deteriorated, leading to their transfer to a hospital in Nagpur after initial treatment in Chandrapur. Unfortunately, Shankar passed away on September 26, followed by his wife the next day.
While the Kumbhare family was mourning these losses, Shankar's son Roshan and his daughters Komal Dahagaokar and Ananda, known as Varsha Urade, began experiencing similar symptoms and were admitted to different hospitals. Despite medical efforts, the three siblings succumbed to the poison between October 8 and October 15.
Sagar, another of Shankar's sons, who had come from Delhi to participate in his parents' last rites, became seriously ill upon his return and required immediate hospitalization. The family's driver, who had initially transported Shankar and Vijaya to Chandrapur, also fell victim to the poison. A relative who had visited Chandrapur and Nagpur to assist the family likewise displayed symptoms of poisoning.
Although medical professionals suspected some form of poisoning as the cause of the mysterious symptoms, initial tests failed to identify the specific poison. Responding to the situation, the police organized five investigative teams under the leadership of SP Neelotpal.
Subsequent investigations revealed that Sanghamitra had married Roshan against her parents' wishes, which allegedly resulted in her being taunted by Roshan and her in-laws. Meanwhile, Rosa Ramteke was embroiled in a bitter dispute over the division of the family's ancestral property.
According to official reports, Sanghamitra and Rosa devised a plan to eliminate individuals they considered adversaries. Rosa traveled to Telangana to obtain the heavy metal-based poison, which the two then surreptitiously administered into the victims' food and water whenever an opportunity arose.
The family's driver inadvertently consumed poisoned water from a bottle that had been in the possession of Shankar and Vijaya during their initial trip to Chandrapur, leading to his illness. SP Neelotpal confirmed that the two women were taken into custody on Wednesday morning.
"The primary motive behind the murders appears to be the psychological torment suffered at the hands of in-laws, including the husband, and a bitter dispute over ancestral property," SP Neelotpal stated. "Further investigations by the Gadchiroli police are ongoing, and the involvement of additional individuals is also under scrutiny," he added.
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