Daijiworld Media Network - Dharwad (SP)

Dharwad, Jun 10: A three-year-old girl fell unconscious and died after being slapped by her father in a village near here, on Sunday June 7. The girl's offence was that she refused to address her father as Appa (Kannada parlance for ‘father’).

The girl in question, named Sanika, was the daughter of Raju and Netra Hajeri from Mandihal village, about 10 kms from here. The family lives in a farm house. After the girl fell down, she was taken to the district civil hospital here, where she was declared brought dead.

It is said, Raju was incensed at the fact that the girl insisted on addressing him as 'Anna (brother)' and called his neighbourer, father of her friend, as 'Appa'. He was trying to force her to mend her ways, when his slap caused head injuries due to which he lost his daughter.

The policemen attribute the heightened temper of Raju at the time, to an argument that ensued between the couple on some silly issue and Raju turned his fury towards his daughter. In her complaint to the police, Netra Hajeri has held her husband responsible for her daughter's death. Dharwad Rural police have registered a case.