Mangaon Woman Dies After Feeding Poisoned Drink to Her Four Children
A 29-year-old woman and her two young daughters died, while her two other children remain in critical condition, after she allegedly fed her four children a poison-laced cold drink and consumed it herself at Kharavali tribal hamlet in Mangaon taluka, Raigad. The incident, which came to light on Saturday afternoon, reportedly followed domestic disputes between the woman and her husband.
The deceased have been identified as Asha Dharma Jadhav, 29, and her two daughters, six-year-old Nandini and seven-year-old Durva. They were declared brought dead upon arrival at the Mangaon sub-district hospital.
Asha’s eight-year-old son, Ravi, and four-year-old daughter, Rajshree, survived the poisoning. After being stabilized, they were shifted to the Alibaug Civil Hospital, where they remain under observation in the intensive care unit.
According to Sub-divisional Police Officer Shankar Kale, the incident was discovered at around 3 p.m. on Saturday when Asha’s sister-in-law visited the house and found the mother and four children lying motionless on the floor. Neighbors immediately helped transport the family to the Mangaon sub-district hospital.
During the investigation, Ravi told the police that his mother had mixed a tablet used for catching fish into their cold drink. The boy recognized the substance because he had previously gone fishing with his mother, where she used the tablets to make fish float unconscious to the water's surface.
The Mangaon police have registered an FIR of murder and attempt to murder against the deceased mother. Additionally, following a complaint by Asha’s elder brother, Sandeep Mukane, the police registered an FIR for abetment of suicide against her husband, Dharma Jadhav.
Raigad Superintendent of Police Dalal stated that preliminary investigations indicate Asha had argued with her husband on Friday night after he came home drunk. Neighbors confirmed that the couple quarreled frequently over Dharma’s habitual alcohol consumption. Mukane alleged that his sister faced constant physical and mental harassment from her husband since their marriage in 2016.
A forensic team has collected samples of vomit, food, water, and leftover cold drink bottles from the house to confirm the presence of the poison.
