Mother Detained After 11-Year-Old Son Found Dead, Daughter Hospitalised in Pune
A Pune mother has been detained after her minor son was found dead and her daughter seriously injured.
Pune police detained Soni Santosh Jaybhay, a resident of BYF Road in Wagholi, following a gruesome incident on Tuesday morning at a local housing society under Wagholi police jurisdiction. Authorities report that the 35-year-old woman allegedly slit the throat of her 11-year-old son, Sai Raj Santosh Jaybhay, with a sharp weapon, leading to his immediate death at the scene. She then turned on her 13-year-old daughter, Dhanashree Santosh Jaybhay, attempting a similar attack before vigilant neighbors intervened, subduing the mother and rushing the girl to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.
Originally from Kandhar in Nanded district, Maharashtra, the family had been living in Pune for several years. Eyewitnesses described a chaotic scene around 8 AM, with screams alerting residents who forced entry into the flat. The daughter sustained neck injuries but is now stable, undergoing observation for potential trauma and infection, according to hospital sources.
Wagholi police, led by Senior Inspector Sanjay Shinde, have registered a case under Section 302 (murder) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code, along with relevant child protection laws. A forensic team examined the scene, recovering the bloodied weapon—a kitchen knife—and collecting samples for analysis. The mother's initial interrogation revealed no clear motive; she remains silent, prompting probes into family disputes, financial woes, or mental health issues like postpartum depression or stress from urban relocation.
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Neighbors noted the family appeared reclusive, with occasional arguments audible, though no prior complaints were lodged. The incident has heightened security fears in the densely populated society, prompting community meetings and calls for counseling services. Police continue questioning relatives in Nanded and plan psychological evaluations, amid a statewide rise in familial violence cases—Maharashtra reported over 1,500 in 2025 per NCRB data.
This tragedy underscores gaps in mental health support for families, as investigations unfold.
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