A 23-year-old man in Gujarat’s Surat, after frequently being rebuked by her grandmother over failing to secure a job, decided to eliminate her on Friday and tried to pass it off as an incident of self-harm. However, after he slit her throat and tried misleading the police during interrogation, the cops busted his far-fetched story and arrested him, the police said on Saturday.

Murder unfolds in Parvat Patiya area

According to police, the harrowing incident took place in the Parvat Patiya area of the city, which lies under the jurisdiction of the Puna Police Station. The victim, Leelaben Chaudhary (70), was found dead inside her flat at Anmol Complex.

Police said the accused, Harsh Patel, who was her grandson, used a kitchen knife to slit her throat during a dispute that spiralled out of control.

Patel fabricates story to mislead cops

The investigating police personnel said that during initial questioning, Patel attempted to evade suspicion by concocting a false story. He claimed his grandmother had tried to harm herself and sustained fatal injuries, and he attempted to deter her.

He repeated the story before relatives and neighbours to reinforce the claims. However, the police noted inconsistencies in his statements, coupled with forensic evidence seized from the crime scene.

When the police interrogated him strictly, he confessed to killing Leelaben.

Tensions were brewing within the household

Police officials aware of the case said Leelaben had been raising Patel and his sister for a decade, after their mother remarried and relocated. She bore the responsibility of their upbringing, but tensions had been brewing within the household.

Police learnt that Patel had been unemployed for a long time, over which Leelaben used to reprimand her frequently.

Argument takes a gory turn

On the day of the incident, the house was empty as Patel’s sister had gone for work, while his wife was at her parental home. Around noon, when Leelaben yet again urged Patel to seek employment and assume responsibility, he grabbed a kitchen knife in a fit of rage and attacked her, killing her on the spot.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ajit Singh Parmar said the accused has been taken into police custody and the knife used to murder Leelaben has been seized. Further probe into the incident is underway.