Rajkot: A 22-year-old man was allegedly murdered by his parents in Gundala village of Gondal taluka in Rajkot district, with police arresting the couple after a forensic postmortem contradicted the family’s claim that he took his own life by consuming acid.The victim, Ram Bambhava, was allegedly forced to drink acid by his mother, Manisha alias Moti Bambhava (45), before being strangled by his father, Babu alias Atul Bambhava (47), on June 30, according to an FIR lodged by his 20-year-old wife, Bansi.Based on her complaint, Gondal Taluka police registered a case of murder against the couple and arrested both of them.According to the FIR, Bansi married Ram five months ago. She alleged that her husband frequently returned home drunk and quarrelled with his father. On June 29, the couple had visited her parental home, where Ram’s drinking led to an argument with her father. Her father then called Ram’s father and asked him to take his son home.The next day, while Bansi was still at her parents’ house, she was informed that Ram died after drinking acid. After the funeral, relatives from her in-laws’ side told her that Ram had returned home drunk on June 30 and fought with his father. During the altercation, his mother allegedly forced acid down this throat. When he began struggling, his father gagged and strangled him.Bansi further alleged that her in-laws warned her not to reveal the incident, saying the family’s reputation would be damaged if the truth came out.Rajkot Superintendent of Police Vijay Singh Gurjar told TOI that the circumstances of the death appeared suspicious, prompting police to order a forensic postmortem. “The examination found strangulation marks on the victim’s neck and confirmed this as the cause of death, and not acid consumption. The victim’s wife’s statement also supported this finding,” Gurjar said.Investigating officer U.R. Damor said the accused were arrested on July 2 and produced before a court on July 3. Police have seized the acid bottle allegedly used in the incident, the clothes worn by the accused, and a bedsheet stained with the victim’s vomit.Preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased was unemployed and looking for work, while his father ran a tea stall.
