Mumbai: Man Dies After Couple Beat Him Up Over Keeping Shoes In Common Area Outside Flats

Mumbai, 5th March 2023: A couple killed their 54-year-old neighbour on Saturday night after an argument over keeping shoes out in the common area of their flats in a residential building on Mira Road.

The Naya Nagar police detained Zainab Rupani (35) in the early hours of Sunday. She is currently being held in police custody until 8th March. Sameer, her husband of 35 years, is missing. They severely beat Adhikari Khatri, a neighbour. By 11:55 p.m., he was taken to a local hospital but was pronounced dead before admission.

Throughout the past few years, the Khatris and Rupanis have lived as neighbours in apartments on the fourth floor (B wing) of the Asmita Daffodils complex. The Rupani couple has constructed a shoe stand on the common wall.

According to the police, the two families had been at odds for many years. The Rupani couple and Khatri got into a confrontation on Saturday night at about 11.30 p.m. because Khatri was leaving his shoes close to their door.

The Rupani pair started punching and kicking Khatri as the argument got heated. The fight was broken up by building occupants, and the family went back to their apartments. Khatri started to foam at the mouth as he climbed into bed. His family took him to the hospital right away, where he was pronounced dead before being admitted.

Zainab remained in her apartment, but Sameer left when Khatri was taken to the hospital. The couple, according to the police, has been charged with murder. There is a hunt underway for Sameer. The autopsy of Khatri’s body has been forwarded to JJ Hospital.

It is forbidden to store items in common hallways of residential complexes. In many housing cooperatives, disputes between neighbours arise when common areas are misused.