PUNE: A woman from Wagholi stabbed her son (11) to death and attempted to kill her daughter (13) in their rented accommodation around 9am on Tuesday after an argument with her husband — a casual worker.“We have arrested the 29-year-old woman, Soni Santosh Jaybhay, on charges of murder and attempted murder. She works in a departmental store,” said senior inspector Sarjerao Kumbhar of the Wagholi police.“The deceased boy was identified as Sairaj, and the injured girl as Dhanashree. The latter has been admitted to a hospital in Wagholi for treatment,” Kumbhar said.The senior police inspector said the family had moved into the house in a society on BAIF Road in Wagholi about eight days ago. “The incident occurred around 9am, just after Soni’s husband, Santosh, left home in search of work. The couple had argued over several issues, including Santosh’s joblessness and his drinking habits, just before that,” Kumbhar said.“After Santosh left the house, Soni picked up a knife from the kitchen, stabbed her son and then slit the latter’s throat. She then attacked her daughter. Dhanashree managed to save herself. She ran out of the house screaming. Residents of the society gathered in front of Soni’s house and called the police,” he said.“As soon as people gathered in and around the house, Soni ran into the bathroom and locked herself inside. We had to persuade her to open the washroom’s door,” Kumbhar said.“We shifted both the children to the hospital, where Sairaj was declared dead. He died of excessive bleeding. The two children have been pursuing their education in a Zilla Parishad school,” he said.The family originally hails from Nanded district and relocated to Pune about 10 years ago. The couple and their children had to frequently change houses because of Santosh’s alcoholism, Kumbhar said.
