'Cat fight' turns fatal for Virar man

A Virar (E) man's display of affection for his adorable kitten ended up in tragedy after a neighbour thought he was making a sexual overture towards her. Shashi Bhushan Pandey was brutally assaulted by the woman and her husband, leading to his death, said the police.

Pandey, who lived with his wife Gulabi in Jivdani Road locality, had adopted the kitten three months ago. With no children of their own, 36-year-old Pandey had grown very fond of the animal and would spend a lot of time playing with her.

'Meri billi kitni achhi hai' were the endearing remarks by Pandey on Monday night as he was spending some time with the feline – he had named her Rakhi – on his verandah. In her complaint to the police, Gulabi said their neighbour Maya Yadav heard the words.

That's when things began go wrong in a hurry.

Misconstruing Pandey's talks with Rakhi as suggestive and aimed at her, Maya got infuriated and complained about the matter to her husband Chandrabhan. Apparently armed with clubs used to wash clothes, the couple charged at Pandey.

Gulabi told the police that she rushed to the spot after hearing her husband's screams. She saw the couple mercilessly attacking Pandey. While Pandey was taken to a hospital, doctors declared him dead on arrival. He was employed with a private firm.

Inspector Sunil Mane of Virar police station said they have arrested Chandrabhan and Maya under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (common intent) of the Indian Penal Code. The cops have also recorded the statements of three to four witnesses, including a vegetable vendor.

"The complainant said that her husband was just playing with the kitten and said 'meri billi kitni achhi hai' out of affection. However, Maya felt offended by the remarks and complained to Chandrabhan about Pandey's alleged misbehaviour. The couple then beat him to death," said Mane.

The policeman also said that the accused have confessed to crime and accepted that their action was the result of a misunderstanding.