Thane Woman Arrested for Poisoning and Killing Her Three Daughters

In a heartbreaking incident that has shocked Maharashtra and the nation, a 27-year-old woman from Thane’s Shahapur area was arrested for allegedly poisoning her three young daughters by mixing pesticide into their meal. The case has sparked nationwide outrage, not just for its brutal outcome, but for what it reveals about the mental health crisis, domestic struggles, and social abandonment that many women face in silence.

The Incident: A Quiet Family Meal Turned Deadly

On July 20, 2025, in Asnoli village, Shahapur, Sandhya Sandeep Bere served her three daughters varan bhata (popularly known as Dal- Chawal) meal secretly laced with pesticide.

Her daughters aged 5, 8, and 10 consumed the poisoned food and soon began experiencing vomiting and dizziness. Family members rushed them to local hospitals and later transferred them to medical facilities in Mumbai and Nashik. Despite the doctors’ efforts, all three girls died between July 24 and 25.

The Arrest and the Confession

Initially, the police treated the deaths as accidental. However, after the autopsy and toxicology reports confirmed the presence of poison, they launched a murder investigation and arrested Sandhya in the early hours of July 27.

According to the Shahapur police, Sandhya confessed during interrogation that she had poisoned her children due to overwhelming emotional and financial distress. She was reportedly struggling to raise her daughters alone after separating from her alcohol-addicted husband, with whom she had endured years of domestic abuse.

Behind the Act: A Life of Struggle and Silence

Sandhya worked at a logistics company, earning ₹12,000 per month, barely enough to support three children. Relatives describe her as a mother under immense pressure, battling loneliness, financial insecurity, and lack of emotional support.

Her story is one that resonates with many Indian women trapped in toxic marriages, left to fend for themselves, and ignored by a system that promises support but rarely delivers.