The 35-year-old woman’s death in Ghatkopar has now led to four more arrests, with police saying that her mother-in-law, the key accused, paid Rs 3 lakh to her domestic help and her family members for committing the murder.

The mother-in-law, 65-year-old Dhanlaxmi Ghanji arrested on Tuesday, had initially tried to pass off the death of Sapna Ghanji as a fall in the bathroom, police said.

However, police said, the nature of injuries, CCTV cameras and call records led them to the accused. On Wednesday, police arrested Mangala Jadhav, the domestic help, her husband Suresh, daughter Shivani (21) and son Sajan (19).

DCP Ganesh Shinde told , ” After the body of Sapna was found with injury marks in the bathroom on Sunday night we registered a murder case and arrested her mother-in-law. It was during her interrogation and technical clues that we found that she had hired four others to murder her daughter-in-law on Sunday. She later tried to pass the death off as an accidental fault Sapna had in the bathroom as she was under the influence of alcohol.”

Dhanlaxmi was upset with her daughter-in-law as she had in the past filed an FIR against her family and also suspected her of having an extra marital affair and being addicted to alcohol, police said.

Sapna had left for Dubai with her husband and son earlier this year, and returned in June with her son for holidays, while her husband remained in Dubai where he worked.

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

Story continues below this ad

Besides, in 2024, Sapna had registered a case against her in-laws at Nalasopara Police Station under the Domestic Violence act.

On Monday night, Sapna’s parents received a call that she had fallen in the bathroom and her in-laws rushed her to the hospital, where she was declared dead.

When a team from Pant Nagar police station in Ghatkopar reached the hospital, they found black-blue marks were visible around Sapna’s neck and she had been bleeding from the left side of the head, which made them suspicious.

Dhanlaxmi initially told the police that Sapna had slipped in the bathroom and fallen.

Story continues below this ad

Later, during interrogation, she allegedly told them that she had fought with her daughter-in-law and during the quarrel, she pushed Sapna causing her to fall in the bathroom, sustain a head injury, and die. However, based on the nature of injuries the deceased had sustained, the police found that her head had been banged on a hard surface. Based on Sapnas’ father’s complaint, an FIR was registered and Dhanlaxmi was placed under arrest.

Dhanlaxmi had allegedly roped in her maid Mangala Jadhav who also worked at Sapna’s residence, to murder her daughter-in-law, police said.

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

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

Story continues below this ad

The accused told the police that Sapna was under the influence of alcohol and they allegedly threw chilli powder in her eyes, hit on her head with a glass tumbler and later strangled her with a dupatta.

When she did not die, the accused allegedly stood on her neck which eventually killed her following which they destroyed the evidence, police said.

The police said they have found CCTV footage where the accused are seen entering the building, and phone records between the accused which proves their complicity in the crime.