Police arrest woman in Maharashtra's Raigad for poisoning food served at feast hosted by relative, killing five

A 23-year-old woman from Khalapur in Maharashtra's Raigad district was arrested on Friday for allegedly poisoning the food served at a feast hosted by a relative on 18 June, killing five guests.

Representational image. AFP

Pradnya Survase intended to kill her husband and in-laws, the Hindustan Times reported. She claimed that they had harassed her over her complexion and cooking skills.

Initially, authorities believed these were accidental deaths, but the police said she had admitted to mixing a powder used to kill snakes into the dal that was served at the feast hosted by her relative Subhas Mane in Mahad, Raigad district. The five victims included four children and an elderly man, according to the Deccan Chronicle.

Survase held grudges against her husband Suresh Survase, mother-in-law Sindhu Survase, sisters-in-law Ujwala Pawar and Jyoti Kadam, her relative Mane, his wife Sarita, and also against Alanka Shinde, who had allegedly broken up her marriage by spreading lies about her. One of the victims, 12-year-old Rushikesh Shinde, was Alanka Shinde’s son, reported The Hindu.

The accused, who is divorced, believes that her first marriage ended because Shinde had "cast aspersions on her character", the police said. She also alleged that Shinde was trying to break up her second marriage through similar means, according to the Hindustan Times.

Survase was charged under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal. She will be produced before the Khalapur Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court on Saturday, The Hindu reported.