Udaipur/Jaipur: In a chilling act of violence, a 36-year-old govt school teacher was brutally murdered with a sword by her former boyfriend — a taxi driver — at a bus stand in full public view in Banswara district Tuesday morning.The attack occurred around 10.30am at the Kalinjara town bus stand where the woman was waiting for conveyance. The accused, identified as Mahipal Bhagaura, arrived in a car, stepped out and stabbed her in the stomach with the sword.The victim, Leela Tabiyar, collapsed on the spot as shocked bystanders watched the assault unfold. Mahipal attempted to flee in the same car but crashed the vehicle into a tree near the bus stand shortly after. He then abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Locals alerted the police and rushed Leela to the district hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. Police teams from Baghidora and Kalinjara stations reached the scene after receiving the alert.Leela, a resident of Arthuna, was posted as a Grade-II Sanskrit teacher at Govt Senior Secondary School in Chhaya Mahudi, Sajjangarh block.A police officer said that she was divorced and once shared a close relationship with the accused. “After her divorce, they were in a relationship. However, it appears things turned sour between them recently. We analysed their call records and found that the two spoke several times since morning. Mahipal was aware of her exact location,” the officer said.The officer added that the accused had a history of violence. About two years ago, Banswara police arrested him for assaulting Leela. The matter was later settled and he was granted bail following a compromise.Several eyewitnesses confirmed the sequence of events. They told the police that as soon as Mahipal arrived, Leela noticed a sharp-edged weapon in his hand. Sensing danger, she tried to flee but the attack was so sudden that she had no time to react. He stabbed her multiple times before escaping.Police have secured the CCTV footage of the incident, which they say will provide crucial evidence in the case. Banswara SP Harshvardhan Agarwala said the car, which crashed into a tree, has been seized. “We have formed six police teams and set up checkpoints to trace and arrest Mahipal. The victim’s body is currently kept in the district hospital mortuary,” the officer added.
