AHMEDABAD/INDIA: A 35-year-old woman has been arrested for the murder of her 75-year-old father-in-law, identified as Jagdish Sharma, in an incident that has highlighted the extreme vulnerability and exploitation of widows in domestic settings.
The Background and Motive According to the investigation by the Kheda (Dakor) Police, the victim, Jagdish Sharma, had been living with his daughter-in-law since the death of her husband.
During police interrogation, the woman confessed to the crime, detailing a pattern of long-term sexual harassment and coercion.
She alleged that her father-in-law frequently demanded sexual favors, explicitly telling her that because he was bearing all her expenses—including her food, housing, and personal needs—it was her duty to please him in return.
The Incident The situation escalated in September 2023 when the woman requested a sum of two lakh rupees from her father-in-law to travel abroad. When he refused and continued his demands for sexual intimacy, the woman allegedly attacked him in a fit of rage. Reports indicate she bludgeoned him with a heavy object and, in a gruesome act of retaliation, severed his genitals.
She then hid his body in a wooden cupboard inside their home in Dakor.
Discovery and Arrest The murder came to light after the man was reported missing for three days. His elder son discovered the decomposing body in the closet after a thorough search of the house.
The Nadiad Division Police, led by Deputy Superintendent VR Bajpai, initially detained the woman on suspicion before her full confession.
Legal Action The woman was booked under Section 302 for murder and Section 201 for causing the disappearance of evidence under the Indian Penal Code.
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Kheda Murder CaseThe police stated that while the primary trigger was a financial dispute over the two lakh rupees, the underlying motive was the years of sexual exploitation justified by the accused as payment for her maintenance.
