A 49-year-old man tied the hands and legs of his elderly mother-in-law before slitting her throat and stabbing her repeatedly in Virar East, while his two pre-teen children silently witnessed the gruesome incident on Wednesday. After committing the heinous act, the perpetrator, Prashant Khaire, attempted to flee the scene, but his children blocked his path and started screaming for help.

Alarmed by the unusual commotion, neighbours rushed to the scene and were shocked by the gruesome sight. “The entire crime scene was chaotic, with blood covering the floor. The children were visibly distressed,” said a neighbour requesting anonymity. “The body of the elderly woman, Laxmibai, lay in a pool of blood, and the killer was holding a kitchen knife. It was a horrific situation,” they added.