Of the other inmates, 15 women have allegedly murdered their sisters-in-law, while five others have played a role in the death of their mothers-in-law.
An internal study carried out by the authorities at the Yerawada central prison has found that about 92% of the female inmates committed crimes for “compelling domestic reasons” involving their dear and near ones.
The remaining 18 of the 238 inmates currently lodged at the Yerwada Female Prison are either undertrials or serving a term for their involvement in property disputes or after being booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
The study by the jail administration under the guidance of deputy inspector general of police (prison) Ravindra Kedari was carried out recently to study the reasons for women committing crime, including murder.
“We can’t label all the women as criminals. In fact, most of them are offenders and they committed an offence under strenuous circumstances with whatever weapon they found,” he said.
“Majority of these women didn’t commit crimes to earn a living, but were compelled by circumstances,” he said. Of the 238 female inmates, 67 are currently lodged for killing or abetting suicide bids of their daughter-in-laws, while 21 others had killed their husbands. Kedari, however, clarified that charges of some of the inmates are yet to be proved. A majority of the women inmates is in the age group of 17-60 years.
Fifteen women are lodged for murdering their sons while 19 others are in the jail for picking up a quarrel with their neighbours. Of the other inmates, 15 women have allegedly murdered their sisters-in-law, while five others have played a role in the death of their mothers-in-law. Four others face charges of killing their brothers-in-law.
Interestingly, six inmates are currently lodged for killing the mistresses or second wife of their husbands. As for the majority of women, the incidents are the fallout of domestic violence and in retaliation these women have committed the offence.
Only 18 inmates are found to be involved in criminal activities. These women have been repeatedly booked and arrested by various police units across the state. While 10 of the 18 women have been arrested under stringent sections of the Narcotics Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances Act, the remaining have been booked for various property offences such as house break-in and pilfering.
Kedari said the case involving Anjanabai Gavit and her two daughters Renuka and Seema is rare because these women have kidnapped and killed over 13 children to earn their livelihood in the early 1990s.
Another mother-daughter duo Leena and Deepti Deosthali have been convicted by the Bombay high court in the case of kidnapping and killing city-based orthopaedic surgeon Deepak Mahajan in June 2006.
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