05 May,2026 01:50 PM IST | Beed | mid-day online correspondent
Police have registered a case against the accused. Representational Pic
A man allegedly poured diesel over his two minor daughters and attempted to set them on fire following a family dispute in Maharashtra's Beed district, police said on Tuesday.
Police have registered a case against the accused, identified as Mahesh Vishnu Somase, in connection with the incident that occurred in Lahamewadi village in Majalgaon tehsil on May 2, an official said, PTI reported.
According to police, Somase's wife, Ashwini, had been staying at her maternal home after a domestic dispute. On Saturday evening, he arrived there with their two daughters, aged four and five.
Somase allegedly insisted that his wife return home immediately. When she refused and suggested involving community elders to mediate the issue, he reportedly became enraged and threatened to kill her and her relatives.
In a shocking turn, the accused allegedly took out a can of diesel from a bag on his motorcycle, poured it over the children, and attempted to set them on fire using a matchbox.
A relative present at the spot managed to snatch the matchbox from his hands, preventing a tragedy, the official said, the news agency reported.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident and further action is being taken.
A four-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered by a senior citizen in a village in Maharashtra's Pune district, police said last week.
As reported by news agency PTI, police have arrested a 65-year-old man in connection with the incident that occurred in Bhor tehsil.
Police officials, while briefing about the incident, said, "The accused allegedly lured the child with the promise of food and took her to a shed in a cattle enclosure, where he sexually assaulted her and killed her," as per PTI.
They further added, "When the girl went missing, her relatives began looking for her. During the search, CCTV footage from a private residence captured the accused with the child," as cited by PTI.
Officials further confirmed that the accused was arrested soon after the probe was launched.
The incident triggered outrage in the area, as hundreds of villagers rushed to a police chowki and demanded stern action against the accused. The mob later staged a blockade on the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway, resulting in heavy traffic.
Pune Rural Superintendent of Police Sandip Singh Gill assuaged the mob, assuring the public that a chargesheet in the case will be filed within 15 days and the trial will be held in a fast-track court.
(With PTI inputs)
