Ahmedabad: A dispute over Rs 15 lakh allegedly turned deadly when a 25-year-old private bank loan manager stabbed his 65-year-old distant relative to death with a pair of scissors inside her flat in Khokhra area of the city. The alleged murder came to light on Monday, when neighbours alerted police after a foul smell began emanating from the locked apartment.The accused, Praharsh Amin, a resident of Rami Chawl in Rakhial, was arrested after police recovered the decomposed body of Lakshmi Dabhi from her flat at Jivanraksha Apartments. Investigators suspect she was killed in the early hours of Oct 16, three days before her body was discovered. Police also found indications that an attempt had been made to stuff the body into a suitcase.According to Khokhra police inspector B P Savalia, Amin was the son of Dabhi’s cousin. The two allegedly operated a hawala-like network to help traders settle their goods and services tax (GST) dues. Their relationship soured after Amin allegedly retained Rs 15 lakh received from a trader as part of one such transaction.“On the night of Oct 15, Amin and Dabhi were together at her home when they had another argument over the money. Early the next morning, Dabhi tried to cut open the cloth bag in which Amin had kept the cash. When he woke up and caught her doing so, he tried to stop her. She attacked him with scissors, following which he snatched them and stabbed her repeatedly,” Savalia said.Dabhi died due to excessive blood loss, and Amin allegedly left her body inside the flat before leaving the premises, said police.Dabhi had lived alone for around 15 years and had no children. Her husband died in 2013. Her 70-year-old brother, Jaswant Makwana, lodged a complaint with Khokhra police after learning that her body had been taken to LG Hospital for a postmortem.
