Pune: A 45-year-old ex-serviceman allegedly strangled his wife (40) to death and later tried to kill their 17-year-old son at their home in Khed late on Sunday night.The ex-serviceman’s son, Atharva Daundkar, stated in his complaint that his father killed his mother. The accused was allegedly upset with his wife because she was not speaking to his sister.The Pune Rural police identified the deceased as Deepa Mahendra Daundkar.The Khed police have registered a case under sections 103 (murder) and 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police teams have been formed to trace the accused.An officer from the Khed police said the accused retired from the Army in 2019 and later started working as a security guard with a private company in Vishrantwadi.According to the complainant, his father would often harass his mother over her strained relationship with his sister. “He told us that his father had left home on March 22 this year over the same issue. His mother had even lodged a missing person’s complaint then,” the officer said.Police said Atharva was at his neighbour’s house around 9.30pm on Sunday when the neighbour received a missed call from Atharva’s mother.“Atharva returned home immediately, but his father told him that his mother was sleeping after taking medicine. He allegedly told Atharva not to wake her up. He, however, went into his parents’ bedroom and found his mother lying motionless. He also noticed bruises on her face and injury marks on her neck,” the officer said.According to the complainant, the ex-serviceman entered the bedroom, locked the door and tried to strangle him with a dupatta.“Atharva managed to push his father away, opened the door and raised an alarm. His father allegedly followed him carrying two kitchen knives and threatened to stab him if he did not stop shouting for help. Atharva suffered a cut on his right thumb while attempting to defend himself,” he said.The teenager then managed to open the main door and raise an alarm.“Their relatives who live in the same building rushed to the house after hearing the commotion and tried to intercept the accused. The ex-serviceman allegedly pushed Atharva’s grandfather and fled,” he added.The complainant and his relatives took his mother to a hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead, police said.
