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The building in Bahavani Peth from where Sunita and her two daughters jumped to death. pic/anil naik

In a late night development in the sensational suicide case that shocked the city yesterday, Arvind Khandagle the husband of Sunita who committed suicide along with her two daughters, was arrested on charges of abetment.

The police also arrested Sunita's brother-in-law Anil Khandagle and a woman named Sheetal on charges of harassment. They will be produced before the court today.

Like any other housewife, Sunita Khandagle dutifully prepared her husband's lunchbox in the morning and a few hours later plunged to death from the terrace of her six-storey building along with her two daughters Shivani (5) and Sakshi (4) at Bhavani Peth on Wednesday morning. In the suicide note, Sunita wrote, "Don't allow my husband to touch my body, or allow him to perform my last rights." 

Sunita also wrote that her husband was having extra marital relations, often thrashed her and had asked her to leave home. She said that she was taking this extreme step, as she was unable to cope with his harassment and torture.

Mother, daughters discussed rangoli before the suicide

Neighbours believe that Sunita must have clutched both her daughters and jumped from the terrace.
 
According to the note left behind, Sunita asked her brother Kalu Rokde a resident of Tardeo in Mumbai to per form the last rites.

When MiD DAY visited the grieving family, Sunita's in-laws denied that there was anything wrong between husband and wife. According to them, the mother and daughters were busy discussing colour schemes for the rangoli they were planning outside their house before they left for the terrace.

The mood in the neighbourhood was sombre. Muslims residing in the building decided to call off Eid celebrations.
 
Nasim Shaikh, whose flat is on the sixth floor, said she and her family were sitting in the hall when they heard something hit the iron awning on their window and falling down.

Before they figured out what had happened they heard a loud thud on the ground floor. There was a hue and cry after that. "We thought some children must have thrown down an object as they usually do while playing on the terrace," Nasim said.

Shyada Khan, a resident of the same building, recalled, "I rushed to the place just seven minutes after the incident. By that time a large crowd had already gathered around the bodies. The girls were lying in a pool of blood with their heads badly damaged and mouth half open. I thought of touching them to see whether they were alive. The three bodies were left uncovered for a long time till my husband made some arrangements." Sunita's relative Shanta was working in the kitchen when she heard something hit the ground.

Suicide attempt

Dattatray Londhe (Age 42) and his wife Nilima (Age 38) residents of Shastrinagar in Dattawadi tried to commit suicide by plunging into the river from Harris Bridge in Khadki. Londhe and Nilima were saved by police and rushed to the hospital. Police have registered a case against the couple under Section 307 of the IPC.

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