A fruit vendor died while travelling to a police station after allegedly being assaulted during an argument with a woman over an unpaid loan in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Wednesday.
The woman, identified as Laxmi Naik, was arrested and booked on a murder charge in connection with the death, police said.
Dispute over loan led to argument
The deceased, Yakub Siddiqui, was a resident of Bhiwandi and had reportedly borrowed money from Naik around three to four years ago. According to police, tensions had developed between the two over the alleged delay in repayment of the loan.
The dispute resurfaced on Tuesday night when Naik went to Siddiqui's fruit stall, police said. An argument reportedly broke out between the two over the outstanding amount.
During the confrontation, Naik allegedly assaulted Siddiqui, according to the police account of the incident. The circumstances surrounding the assault and the events immediately following it are being investigated.
Siddiqui headed to police station
Following the altercation, Siddiqui reportedly decided to approach the local police station to lodge a complaint against the woman.
He boarded an autorickshaw and began travelling towards the police station. However, he collapsed inside the vehicle while on the way, police said.
The autorickshaw driver then took Siddiqui to the government-run Indira Gandhi Hospital in Bhiwandi for medical treatment.
Doctors declared him dead
Doctors at the hospital examined Siddiqui but declared him dead on arrival, according to police.
The exact cause of death will be established through the post-mortem examination, while investigators are also examining whether the alleged assault was directly responsible for his death.
Police are expected to record statements from people who may have witnessed the argument and examine other available evidence as part of the investigation.
Woman arrested and booked for murder
Following the incident, Bhiwandi police arrested Naik and booked her under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with murder, along with other relevant provisions, police said.
The case has been registered in connection with Siddiqui's death, with investigators examining the sequence of events from the argument at the fruit stall to his collapse while travelling to the police station.
The allegations against Naik are part of the police case and will be subject to the legal process.
Court remands accused to police custody
Naik was produced before a local magistrate following her arrest. The court remanded her to police custody until September 11, police said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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