Nagpur, Dec 3 (IANS) A widower attacked his sister-in-law with a knife on a busy road after she refused his continuous pleas to marry him, but a brave pedestrian pinned him down and saved the woman, police said here on Saturday.
The shocking incident occurred on Friday afternoon in full public view when Siddharth Jyotiram Awle, 35, accosted his sister-in-law, identified as Vandana D. Kawle, 25, who was riding on a scooter on a road in the busy Jhenda Chowk area.
He suddenly whipped out a large sharp knife and brutally attacked Vandana who lost control and fell from her vehicle.
Sensing serious trouble, some pedestrians shouted at Awle and even pelted stones to stop him, while some women rushed to help the victim who was bleeding.
One onlooker, Vijay Gawande courageously intervened, pinning Awle down from behind by holding both his arms even as he struggled to free himself and rush towards his injured sister-in-law lying on the road a few feet away.
After sometime Awle appeared to calm down and Gawande and others managed to bring him under control.
He was handed over to police who has charged him with attempted murder and other offences, while Vandana is undergoing treatment and her treatment is reported as stable, an official said on Saturday.
During Awle's interrogation, police learnt that he had been stalking the victim and forcing her to marry him since the past three years.
"Around two years ago, when Vandana and Kirti Awale were riding their scooter, they met with an accident. While Vandana survived, Kirti, who was pillion riding, was killed. Awle held Vandana responsible for his wife's untimely death and pestered her to marry him," the official told media persons.
While Vandana kept spurning his demands, Awle allegedly blew into a rage when he learnt her family had arranged her marriage elsewhere - to be solemnised next March - and decided to attack her.
Scores of people shot videos of the sensational incident and made it viral on various social media networks.
