Kurla: 41-year-old woman stabs 62-year-old mother to death over sibling rivalry

The police at the crime scene in Kurla. Pic/Rajesh Gupta

A 41-year-old woman allegedly stabbed her mother to death as she was upset that she loved her elder sister more. After committing the crime, she surrendered at the Chunabhatti police station.

At the police station, the accused was identified as Reshma Qazi. "She stabbed her mother, Shabira Banu Shaikh, on January 2 around 8.30 pm at their residence in Qureshi Nagar, Kurla. We recorded the statement of her elder sister, who mentioned that Qazi is mentally stable. We are investigating the primary motive behind the crime," said Navnath Dhavle, DCP, Zone VI.

"When I reached the crime scene, my mother was lying in a pool of blood. She was rushed to Sion Hospital, but the doctors declared her dead before admission. My brother informed me that Reshma had stabbed our mother to death. I'm in shock. Reshma was jealous and often claimed that my mother loved me more than her. I never thought she would take such a drastic step," said Jainbabi Qureshi, 42, Shaikh's elder daughter.

Qureshi added in her police statement: "On January 2 around 6.30 pm, my mother went to Reshma's residence. Shortly after, I received a call from my brother, who said Reshma had called him and confessed to killing our mother. I immediately rushed there and found my mother lying in a pool of blood. Reshma was nowhere to be seen. We rushed my mother to Sion Hospital, but she was declared dead. There were wounds on her neck, shoulder and stomach."

In 2021, Qazi had filed a complaint with Chunabhatti police against her elder sister following a series of verbal altercations. "Shaikh lived in Mumbra but frequently visited her daughters in Kurla. Due to her advanced age, Qureshi cared for her mother. However, tensions arose when Shaikh praised the elder daughter, which upset Qazi. One such incident in 2021 led to a heated argument, prompting Qazi to lodge a complaint against her sister," said an officer.

After committing the crime, Qazi approached the Chunabhatti police and confessed. "She admitted to stabbing her mother with a knife and locking the door from the outside. She claimed she was angry that her mother favoured her elder sister, but we are still investigating the matter," said the officer. Qazi, a resident of Kurla, is married and has a son. She has been booked under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of the Bombay Police Act, 1951.