09 March,2011 11:56 AM IST | | Shiva Devnath
Allegedly disturbed by unequal division of family assets, woman hurls her two kids and self down from 19th floor, a day before wedding anniversary
Frustrated over her husband's inability to get equal share in the family business and property, a 30-year-old woman first flung their two children from 19th floor of their building and then herself leapt to death.
According to the police, Nidhi Gupta took the extreme step a day before her marriage anniversary.
Nidhi Gupta and her children
Nidhi lived in a joint family at Sahyadri building in Malad East with her husband Pawan, his parents, elder brother, Rakesh, his wife, and their children on the ninth floor.
"The flat is in the name of Pawan's sister-in-law, Sunita. The family has a business of garments in which Rakesh has more stake than Pawan. These things frustrated Nidhi.
"She had been asking Pawan to get more rights in business and property. She felt that her children had no future and her husband was not standing up for his rights," said a source in the police.
"Also, Nidhi was pursuing BEd and wanted to work, but Pawan did not allow her," the source added. However, there is no official confirmation yet.
"It seems that the husband and wife had an argument over family matters and Nidhi took the extreme step," the source said.
The incident
Last morning, Nidhi dressed her children for school and took the elevator to the 18th floor from where she climbed up another floor, which was apparently deserted.
She first threw her son down the building, then her daughter, and then jumped herself.
Ashish Shah who lives on the first floor of the building said, "In the morning I heard a thud.
First I thought it was the construction work going on in the building. But there were two more similar sounds. When I went outside, I saw the three bodies."
The liftman who took Nidhi to the 18th floor didn't suspect anything of that sort. "She used to visit a resident on the 18th floor. I thought that was where she was going to," he said.
Nidhi's sister-in-law Sunita had gone for a walk and other members of the family were in the house when the incident happened.
Official speaks
Senior Inspector of Dindoshi police station Vinayak Kakre, said, "Nidhi's parents are in a state of shock and have not given any statement.
So we do not know the real reason behind the incident. We have booked Nidhi under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC and are inquiring into the case."
He added, "We had detained Nidhi's husband and her brother-in-law for questioning but Nidhi's father insisted that they be sent for the last rites of the three family members. So we have released them for now.
But investigation is on," he added.
