Woman killed over 20-year-old daughter's WhatsApp status in Maharashtra

Palghar, February 14

A 48-year-old woman died after the family members of her daughter’s friend allegedly beat her up over a petty dispute here in Maharashtra, police said on Monday.

The woman’s 20-year-old daughter had posted a message on her WhatsApp status, which her friend thought was directed towards her and took offence to it, Boisar police station’s senior inspector Suresh Kadam said without divulging contents of the post.

On February 10, the other girl’s mother and siblings went to victim Lilavati Devi Prasad’s house in Shivaji Nagar and allegedly thrashed her and other members of her family, he said.

Prasad suffered serious injuries and was rushed to a hospital where she died the next day while undergoing treatment, the official said.

Her daughter told reporters on Sunday that her WhatsApp post was a general one and not directed towards her friend.

Based on her complaint, the police arrested the other girl’s mother and two more family members and registered a case against them under Indian Penal Code Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), the official said.

The accused were produced before a local magistrate who remanded them in police custody till February 15, the police said.