Indian-Origin Man Slashes Ex-Wife’s Throat Amid Divorce Dispute

Mitesh Kumar, 45, admitted to the attempted murder of his ex-wife and obstructing police from accessing his phone during proceedings at the High Court in Auckland on Wednesday. The brutal attack occurred in January, leaving the victim with severe injuries that required life-saving surgery.

Kumar confessed to the police after the incident, saying, “If she dies, and I go to jail, everything goes to the kids. That’s the motive.”

The Events Leading to the Attack

The attack took place on January 11 at an Auckland McDonald’s on Stoddard Rd in Wesley. Kumar and his ex-wife had been married for 18 years and had two children. They separated in February 2023 and were in the midst of divorce and financial settlement negotiations. Before January 11, the ex-wife had not seen her children for four months.

The couple arranged to meet at the McDonald’s, expecting their children to be present. Kumar, carrying a utility knife in his trouser pocket, arrived first, ordered a drink, and sat at a table. At around 7:48 pm, his ex-wife called, saying she couldn’t see the children. Kumar convinced her they were across the road and that she should wait inside.

The Brutal Attack

When his ex-wife arrived and sat opposite him, Kumar asked her about accepting a lower settlement offer. She refused to discuss it. Kumar then showed her a nude photograph of her on his phone, taken a year earlier, and threatened to share it if she didn’t accept the lower offer. As she attempted to leave, Kumar stood up, retrieved the knife from under his leg, and attacked her.

Kumar slashed the left side of her neck three times, pushing her over a table. He then stood over her, grabbed her by the hair, and continued slashing at her neck. Despite pleas from McDonald’s staff and the public to stop, Kumar warned them to stay away and continued the attack.

“You’ve wrecked my life…you’ve lost my kids,” he said to her in Gujarati. He repeatedly stabbed and slashed at her neck, head, and upper body as she tried to huddle in a corner and protect herself. The knife malfunctioned twice, causing him to pause briefly, but he continued the assault each time.

Aftermath and Legal Proceedings

Kumar only stopped when the police arrived, seven minutes and 44 seconds after the attack began. While Kumar was taken to the Auckland City Police Station, his ex-wife was rushed to the hospital with multiple penetrating wounds to her neck, throat, left ear, back of her head, and upper chest. She also had defensive wounds on her hands and arms.

Following his arrest, Kumar refused to provide the police with the pins and passwords to his phone despite being warned it was an offence. He told police his ex-wife was demanding too much money in the divorce.

Kumar’s bail has been opposed by the police, and he is expected to face sentencing for his actions.