She hired the house maid and her family to kill her daughter-in-law

4 min learnMumbaiUp to date: Aug 20, 2026 01:47 PM IST

The 35-year-old girl’s loss of life in Ghatkopar has now led to 4 extra arrests, with police saying that her mother-in-law, the important thing accused, paid Rs 3 lakh to her home assist and her relations for committing the homicide.

The mother-in-law, 65-year-old Dhanlaxmi Ghanji, arrested on Tuesday, had initially tried to cross off the loss of life of Sapna Ghanji as a fall within the toilet, police mentioned.

Nonetheless, police mentioned, the character of accidents, CCTV cameras and name information led them to the accused. On Wednesday, police arrested Mangala Jadhav, the home assist, her husband Suresh, daughter Shivani (21) and son Sajan (19).

DCP Ganesh Shinde advised The Indian Specific, ” After the physique of Sapna was discovered with harm marks within the toilet on Sunday evening, we registered a homicide case and arrested her mother-in-law. It was throughout her interrogation and technical clues that we discovered that she had employed 4 others to homicide her daughter-in-law on Sunday. She later tried to cross the loss of life off as an unintentional fault Sapna had within the toilet as she was drunk.”

Ghatkopar Homicide: The ₹3 Lakh Contract

Mumbai · 5 arrested in daughter-in-law’s homicide

₹3 Lakh

Allegedly paid by mother-in-law to rent her killers

The Accused (5)

Mastermind

Dhanlaxmi Ghanji, 65

Mom-in-law of sufferer

Arrested Tue, Aug 18

Employed Executor

Mangala Jadhav

Home assist at sufferer’s residence

Arrested Wed, Aug 19

Confederate

Suresh

Mangala Jadhav’s husband

Arrested Wed, Aug 19

Confederate

Shivani, 21

Mangala Jadhav’s daughter

Arrested Wed, Aug 19

Confederate

Sajan, 19

Mangala Jadhav’s son

Arrested Wed, Aug 19

How It Unfolded

Sapna Ghanji, 35, was discovered lifeless with harm marks within the toilet of her Ghatkopar house on Sunday evening, August 16. Her mother-in-law Dhanlaxmi initially claimed Sapna had slipped and fallen whereas drunk. However the nature of her accidents — bruising across the neck and a head wound — raised suspicion. Police say the accused threw chilli powder in Sapna’s eyes, hit her with a glass tumbler, strangled her with a dupatta, and stood on her neck when she didn’t die. CCTV footage of the accused coming into the constructing and cellphone information between them established their complicity.

Alleged Motive

Dhanlaxmi was reportedly upset with Sapna over a 2024 FIR Sapna had filed towards her in-laws below the Home Violence Act at Nalasopara Police Station. She additionally suspected Sapna of an extramarital affair and alcohol dependancy. Sapna had returned from Dubai together with her son in June for a vacation whereas her husband remained overseas for work; quarrels together with her mother-in-law adopted.

Supply: The Indian Specific (DCP Ganesh Shinde) · Case particulars as reported

Dhanlaxmi was upset together with her daughter-in-law as she had previously filed an FIR towards her household and in addition suspected her of getting an extra-marital affair and being hooked on alcohol, police mentioned.

Sapna Ghatkopar enhanced_photo Two days in the past, Sapna’s dad and mom have been advised she had fallen within the toilet. Her in-laws rushed her to hospital, the place she was declared lifeless. (Enhanced utilizing Claude)

Sapna had left for Dubai together with her husband and son earlier this yr, and returned in June together with her son for holidays, whereas her husband remained in Dubai the place he labored.

Story continues beneath this advert

After her return, Sapna had quarrels together with her mother-in-law, who alleged that she was consuming alcohol and having extra-marital affairs, police mentioned.

Apart from, in 2024, Sapna had registered a case towards her in-laws at Nalasopara Police Station below the Home Violence Act.

On Monday evening, Sapna’s dad and mom acquired a name that she had fallen within the toilet and her in-laws rushed her to the hospital, the place she was declared lifeless.

When a staff from Pant Nagar police station in Ghatkopar reached the hospital, they discovered black-blue marks have been seen round Sapna’s neck, and he or she had been bleeding from the left facet of the pinnacle, which made them suspicious.

Story continues beneath this advert

Dhanlaxmi initially advised the police that Sapna had slipped within the toilet and fallen.

Later, throughout interrogation, she allegedly advised them that she had fought together with her daughter-in-law and throughout the quarrel, she pushed Sapna, inflicting her to fall within the toilet, maintain a head harm, and die. Nonetheless, primarily based on the character of accidents the deceased had sustained, the police discovered that her head had been banged on a tough floor. Primarily based on Sapna’s father’s grievance, an FIR was registered and Dhanlaxmi was positioned below arrest.

Dhanlaxmi had allegedly roped in her maid Mangala Jadhav, who additionally labored at Sapna’s residence, to homicide her daughter-in-law, police mentioned.

She promised her Rs 3 lakh to her and finally Jadhav’s son, husband and daughter too have been roped in, they added.

Story continues beneath this advert

As per police, Dhanlaxmi allegedly went to Sapna’s residence on Sunday afternoon on the pretext of resolving their combat. She then allowed the maid Jadhav and the three others into the home.

The accused advised the police that Sapna was drunk they usually allegedly threw chilli powder in her eyes, hit her head with a glass tumbler and later strangled her with a dupatta.

When she didn’t die, the accused allegedly stood on her neck, which finally killed her, following which they destroyed the proof, police mentioned.

The police mentioned they’ve discovered CCTV footage the place the accused are seen coming into the constructing, and cellphone information between the accused which proves their complicity within the crime.

Mohamed Thaver is a extremely specialised journalist with the Experience and Authority required to report on complicated legislation enforcement and authorized points. With a profession devoted to the crime beat for over a decade, his work offers readers with knowledgeable and reliable insights into Maharashtra’s safety and justice techniques.
Expertise & Authority

Core Focus: Has been solely overlaying the crime beat for over a decade, constructing deep, specialised data within the subject.

Geographical Authority: At the moment focuses closely on legislation enforcement and coverage in Maharashtra, offering authoritative protection of the state’s safety equipment.

Key Beats:

Regulation Enforcement: Stories on the operations of the Maharashtra Police and the Mumbai Crime Department.

Coverage & Administration: Covers the Maharashtra Residence Division, specializing in coverage issues associated to dealing with legislation and order and the evolution of the police power.

Judiciary: Has important previous expertise overlaying the courts, giving him a complete understanding of the whole legal justice course of from investigation to verdict.

Specialised Curiosity (Cyber & Forensics): Demonstrates Experience in fashionable investigative methods, with a eager deal with cyber crime and forensics, reporting on how these applied sciences help complicated crime investigations.

Content material Focus: His stories revolve round police probes, the evolution of the power, and state coverage, guaranteeing his content material is very related and detailed.

Credentials & Trustworthiness
Mohamed Thaver’s long-standing specialization within the crime beat—mixed together with his deal with technological features like cyber crime and his direct protection of main establishments just like the Mumbai Crime Department and the Maharashtra Residence Division—underscores his Trustworthiness and standing as an professional supply for detailed and dependable journalism on legislation and order.
He tweets @thaver_mohamed … Read More