Within a troubling and mystifying chain of events in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli, five members of a family met their demise over the course of just 20 days, all under circumstances riddled with enigma. Subsequent investigations have unearthed an intricate murder plot, resulting in the arrest of two female members of the same family, who played pivotal roles in this unfortunate saga.
The accused, identified as Sanghamitra and Rosa, conspired to poison their family members, utilizing a silent and imperceptible menace, arsenic. The motivations behind their actions are deeply rooted in personal grievances. Sanghamitra harbored feelings of resentment towards her husband and in-laws, whereas Rosa's discontent stemmed from a property dispute within the family.
The agonizing series of incidents commenced on September 20 when Shankar Kumbhare and his wife, Vijaya, exhibited signs of food poisoning. Their health precipitously deteriorated, manifesting as body pain and subsequently cardiac problems, all traceable to a slow and sinister poisoning. Rushed to a local hospital in Aheri, they were later transferred to Chandrapur and eventually to a hospital in Nagpur. However, Shankar Kumbhare succumbed to the poison's effects on September 26, while his wife followed suit a day later.
As the family grappled with grief, their children, Komal Dahagaokar, Ananda, and Roshan Kumbhare, were also hospitalized. Tragically, their conditions deteriorated with each passing day, culminating in Komal's passing on October 8, Ananda on October 14, and Roshan Kumbhare succumbing to the same fate the following day.
Amidst the anguish of losing his family members, Shankar Kumbhare's eldest son, Sagar Kumbhare, hastened to Chandrapur from Delhi but, tragically, he too fell ill after returning home.
The driver of the Kumbhare family, Rakesh Madavi, who had transported Shankar and Vijaya to Chandrapur for medical care, also fell ill and was subsequently admitted to a hospital.
Additionally, a visiting relative who had come to Chandrapur and Nagpur to offer support to the family fell victim to a similar ailment, necessitating medical attention. The medical officer overseeing these cases reported that all three individuals were in stable condition.
The deceased family members and those currently under medical care displayed an array of alarming symptoms, including tingling sensations in their limbs, intense lower back pain, headaches, blackened lips, and a sense of heaviness in the tongue. These symptoms raised initial suspicions of poisoning.
Consequently, four investigative teams were swiftly mobilized to conduct inquiries spanning various districts in Maharashtra and Telangana. Subsequently, Sanghamitra and Rosa were apprehended.
Superintendent of Police Neelotpal elucidated on the motivations behind these distressing actions, noting that Sanghamitra, who happened to be Shankar Kumbhare's daughter-in-law and Roshan Kumbhare's spouse, had been subjected to frequent taunts from her husband and in-laws, adding to her existing anguish following her father's suicide a few months prior.
Rosa Ramteke, who was Vijaya Kumbhare's sister-in-law, resided in close proximity to the Kumbhare family. She was embroiled in disputes over the distribution of her husband's parents' ancestral property, entangling her in a web of grievances with Vijaya Kumbhare and her sisters.
Sanghamitra and Rosa, united by shared resentments, jointly hatched a sinister plot to eliminate their family members. Their actions were premeditated and calculated, even involving online research into potential poisons. Rosa Ramteke journeyed to Telangana to acquire the poison, which, critically, could remain undetected when mixed with water or food. This insidious substance was responsible for the poisoning of Shankar Kumbhare and his wife, as they ingested poisoned water from a bottle while en route to the Chandrapur hospital, under the pretense that it contained beneficial herbs. Regrettably, their driver, Rakesh Madavi, also consumed the same poisoned water, further amplifying the scope of the tragedy.
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