They arrested a 28-year-old man on Thursday for allegedly killing his infant daughter by throwing her into a groundwater basin at his home in Chikkaballapur district, police said on Thursday, adding that they were investigating whether the gender of the second child was a factor in the case.
According to police, the baby’s body was recovered on Thursday after his relatives searched the house and eventually drained the water from the sink inside the property. The police said that the arrested accused has been identified as M Imran.
Chikkaballapur city circle inspector Ranjan Kumar said suspicions fell on the father after the initial investigation. He added: “We received a report of the death of a newborn baby, and we immediately went to the scene of the accident. Upon conducting the preliminary investigation, suspicion fell on the father. Based on the evidence collected and his statements, he was arrested, a murder case was registered, and we are conducting an investigation into all aspects of the accident.”
According to investigators, Imran and his wife Muskaan welcomed their second child less than two weeks ago. Police said preliminary findings indicated that the father was hoping for a boy and was not happy because the child was a girl.
Police allege that during the early hours of Thursday, while other family members were sleeping, the accused took the baby girl out of her bed and threw her into the groundwater basin inside the building of the house.
When the child’s mother woke up and realized the child was missing, she questioned her husband, investigators said. Police said he denied knowing the baby’s whereabouts and joined his relatives in searching for the child.
Since the search yielded no results, family members began to suspect the existence of an underground water basin. After draining the water, they found the baby’s body inside and informed the police.
Officers from Chikkaballapur city police station reached the house, conducted a preliminary investigation and sent the body for post-mortem examination.
Police said they were also questioning relatives and neighbors to determine if there were previous disagreements within the family or indications of sexism. The investigation is still ongoing.
