Kin admit to HIV-positive woman’s murder, held

Relatives of an HIV-positive woman, who was murdered in Dharasana village, were arrested by the Valsad police on Wednesday evening. The thre...

Relatives of an HIV-positive woman, who was murdered in Dharasana village, were arrested by the Valsad police on Wednesday evening. The three men, who were named in the FIR lodged by the woman’s father, have confessed to the murder, said police.

Those arrested have been identified as Bipin Patel, brother of the complainant, and his sons Anil and Darpan. Produced before the Valsad district court on Thursday, the three were remanded to five days’ police custody by the judicial magistrate first class (Valsad).

Circle Police Inspector Chandrakant Gandhi of Valsad police said, ‘‘We have recovered the murder weapon. The three have confessed to having murdered Sumitra because they feared she would infect them with AIDS.’’

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According to case details, 37-year-old widow Sumitra Patel was found murdered in a hut on the outskirts of Dharasana village on Monday morning. Ostracised for being HIV-positive, the widow had been living in the hut built on her father’s farm.

Her father, Haribhai Patel, lodged a police complaint, accusing his brother and sons of the crime. He alleged that the accused had threatened to kill Sumitra after they found her playing with their children.

After being arrested, the accused told the police that Sumitra had been harassing their family members. The accused had allegedly forbidden Sumitra from entering their house. Yet, she would go there and play with their children, they said. One day, she allegedly bit Anil’s elder son in a fit of rage. Scared of contracting AIDS, they killed her, said police.