Maharashtra Woman Arrested for Allegedly Killing Daughter-in-Law Over Gratuity Dispute
Murder Investigation in Thane District
A 60-year-old woman from Thane district in Maharashtra has been taken into custody for allegedly murdering her daughter-in-law amid a dispute over a railway job and gratuity payment, according to police reports.
Gratuity is a one-time payment made by an employer to an employee as a reward for long and continuous service, typically received upon leaving the company or retiring.
An official revealed on Saturday that the accused intended to keep the gratuity amount received after her son's death and wanted her grandson to secure a job on compassionate grounds instead of her daughter-in-law.
On January 1, police received information about a woman found lying near the Valdhuni bridge in Kalyan, showing severe injuries to her head and face. She was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead by doctors.
Initially, an Accidental Death Report (ADR) was filed at the Mahatma Phule Chowk police station, and the body was sent for post-mortem examination.
The case took a turn when a woman named Latabai Natha Gangurde approached the police station, claiming her daughter-in-law, Rupali Vilas Gangurde (35), had been missing since 8 AM. She later identified the deceased woman as Rupali.
However, during questioning by Inspector Vijay Naik and the crime branch team, several inconsistencies emerged in her account of Rupali's disappearance. Rupali's husband, Vilas, was a railway employee who passed away in September 2025, leaving behind a gratuity amount estimated between 9 to 10 lakh rupees, which Latabai allegedly sought for herself.
The official noted that there was also a conflict regarding Vilas's railway job, as Latabai wanted her 15-year-old grandson to receive a compassionate appointment, while Rupali had applied for the position herself.
Subsequently, Latabai conspired with her friend Jagdish Mahadev Mhatre (67) to murder Rupali. According to the official, on the night of December 31, they reportedly attacked Rupali with a rod, resulting in her immediate death.
Kalyan division's Assistant Police Commissioner Kalyanji Gate stated that the suspects cleaned up the bloodstains, changed their blood-soaked clothes, and disposed of Rupali's body near the bridge. Both Latabai and Mhatre have been arrested on charges of murder and destruction of evidence.