MP horror: Jilted lover slits woman's throat at bus stand in Balaghat; bystanders record atrocity

Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh), Nov 11 (IANS) In a chilling act of violence and apathy that has sent shockwaves through Madhya Pradesh, a 23-year-old woman was brutally murdered in broad daylight at a busy bus stop, her throat slit by a jilted lover while onlookers filmed the incident instead of intervening and helping the victim.

The gruesome attack that was captured on multiple mobile phones, occured around 11 a.m. on Tuesday at Amgaon Fata in the Baihar tehsil of Balaghat district, turning a routine morning commute into a scene of unimaginable horror.

The video of the gruesome act went viral on social media.

The victim, identified as Ritu Bhandarkar, an employee at a local furniture shop in Baihar, was waiting for her daily bus to work when the assailant, Roshan Dharve, approached her.

The two had known each other for nearly five years and were reportedly in a relationship that soured recently when Ritu ceased communication with him, fuelling Roshan's rage.

Hailing from Motinala village in Garhi tehsil, Roshan allegedly stalked Ritu's routine and hitched a ride on a motorcycle to reach the spot, knife concealed in his pocket.

Eyewitness accounts and viral videos recorded a heated argument between the two escalating into savagery as Roshan threw Ritu to the ground, stomped on her, and stabbed her repeatedly before delivering the fatal slash to her throat.

As she lay bleeding and unconscious on the roadside, he wiped his bloodied hands on her 'dupatta (stole)' and fell unconscious nearby — perhaps from exhaustion or remorse — leaving the weapon and their mobile phones beside him.

Dozens of bystanders, including commuters and villagers, stood frozen across the road under the midday sun, some shouting pleas or shedding tears, but none dared approach the knife-wielding attacker.

"He kept saying she betrayed him and he wouldn't let her go," one video snippet reveals, underscoring the personal vendetta behind the public brutality.

Ritu, the sole breadwinner for her family, lived with her parents and younger brother who studies in Balaghat.

Known in her community for her hard work and punctuality, her death has left her loved ones devastated and the village in mourning.

Baihar police rushed to the scene shortly after, securing the area with the aid of a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team.

They recovered the blood-stained knife, both mobile phones for call record analysis, the 'dupatta', and Ritu's bag.

Her body was swiftly sent for post-mortem to confirm the cause of death and bolster evidence.

According to police officials, Roshan, who was found unconscious besides the body was detained and rushed to a hospital under custody for medical treatment before interrogation resumes.

A murder case has been registered against him, with police vowing to fast-track proceedings and scrutinising digital footprints for prior threats.

--IANS

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