nagpur based on a flimsy doubt a 37yearold man allegedly killed his stepbrother after making a failed murder attempt on his wife the incident took place shortly after tuesday midnight leaving the anandnagar locality reeling in grief and shockthe alleged murderer sunil bhalme a cable operator and real estate agent had a doubt that there was an illicit relationship between his wife taruna and his stepbrother shrikant who worked as a recovery agent for a financial institution the doubt had embittered the relationship between sunil and shrikant and they reportedly had a tiff following sunils allegationsthe police said that there had been a big fight at the bhalmes residence also sunil had battered taruna to the extent that she fractured her hand sunil had also reportedly threatened shrikant on july 25 but the family members chose not to approach the policeshrikants mother shantabai claimed that an inebriated sunil barged into their portion of the premises to talk to her son at around 1230am on wednesday he sunil kicked the door of the bedroom waking up shrikant he then kicked the kitchen door and i opened the door for sunil as i had no clue of his intentions he immediately attacked shrikant despite me and my son pleading to be spared sunil repeatedly inflicted injuries on my son with a sharp object said shantabai who too was injured in the attack shrikant succumbed to his injuries before he could be provided medical assistanceshantabai the second wife of mamteshwar bhalme used to stay separately with shrikant and daughter archana who is married and was visiting mamteshwars first wife leelabai had three sons ramesh vinod and sunil and a daughter vandana who is also married though initially the family members claimed that there was a property dispute between the brothers shrikants sister archana revealed the true reasons for the assault sunil had been married for around 10 years with a 12yearold son shailesh and 10yearold daughter khushiwe had heard that sunil doubted his wife and felt that my brother was involved in an illicit affair said archana but my brother used to claim that there was nothing between them except a normal relationship between a brotherinlaw and sisterinlaw sunils wife used to enquire about my brothers wellbeing we had suggested they should avoid that too we never thought the difference would go to this extent she saidshantabai said that sunil had first tried to kill his wife but failed as she ran out of the house and took shelter at a relatives place in the adjacent premises he sunil turned his wrath on my son after his wife escaped she saidpolice said that sunil had returned home in an inebriated condition and apparently urged his wife to take an oath to prove her character sunil also forced taruna to gulp down some liquor to ensure she speaks the truth under its influence appalled by her husbands abnormal behaviour taruna ran out of the house and sought refuge in the relatives housesunil left home