3 yrs after woman’s death, husband arrested for murder using venomous snake

Thane: After nearly three years of investigation, Badlapur police in the district have arrested a man and three others for allegedly murdering his wife using a poisonous snake.

Neerja Rupesh Ambekar died at her residence in Ujwaldeep Society, Badlapur East, on July 10, 2022, said a police official. It was recorded as an accidental death.

But police grew suspicious after noticing contradictions in the statements of some of the witnesses, the official said.

Probe revealed that Rupesh (40), the woman’s husband, was frustrated by frequent domestic disputes. He allegedly conspired with his friends Rishikesh Ramesh Chalke and Kunal Vishwanath Chaudhary (25) to eliminate her.

They allegedly roped in Chetan Vijay Dudhan (36), a snake rescue volunteer, who allegedly provided a venomous snake. The accused allegedly made the snake bite the woman, causing her death.

An FIR was registered on Thursday for murder, and a further probe was underway, said senior inspector Nitin Patil.