According to police officials, the incident took place in the wee hours of Sunday. The accused, Naina Pawar, her husband, Atul, and a third unidentified person, attacked Kamal Mane and strangulated her with a sari. Mane’s niece, Kranti Desai, woke up and witnessed the incident. The trio then threatened Desai and told her to keep her mouth shut.

“The third accused in the case is still unidentified, as no one had seen him before at the Mane residence. After the murder, the accused and the niece didn’t bother to take the deceased to the hospital. They just started preparing for the last rites,” said an officer.