Criticized for her bad cooking, the wife poisoned her husband's entire family.

Pradnya Survase (23 years old) faces the death penalty after being accused of poisoning food at a housewarming party on June 18 with the intention of killing her husband and his family, causing the deaths of four children and another adult.Hindustan Timesreport

Five victims including four children aged between 7 and 13 years and Gopinath Nakure (53) died after consuming dal (lentils cooked in butter) at a party attended by 120 guests at Mahad village in Raigad district of Maharashtra state.

According to local police, Survase had been married before. She married her current husband two years ago. However, Survase was often insulted by her in-laws because of her dark skin and her cooking skills. She believed that her in-laws had sabotaged her marriage.

She had the idea of ​​killing her husband's family including her husband, mother-in-law, two sisters and her uncle and his wife. Survase took a powder containing poison used to kill snakes and mixed it into the pot of food. But before she could mix it, her husband's family had finished their meal.

Survase mixed the poison just as a group of children sat down to eat. Many others who ate later also ate the poisoned food. In addition to the victims who died, 88 others suffered stomach aches and were hospitalized.

Vilash Thikrey, a 13-year-old survivor of the incident, said the food had a "bitter taste".

Forensic analysis of food samples served at the party also showed that it was poisonous, and traces of the poison were found near the home of a relative of Survase. When all the food servers at the party were questioned, Survase confessed to the crime.

Survase has been charged with attempted murder and under the Indian Penal Code, she could face the maximum penalty of death.