Bhubaneswar, May 31 (IANS): In a horrific incident, a man allegedly attempted to kill his infant daughter by administering a poison injection, suspecting his wife of having an extramarital affair and the child not belonging to him, the police said on Wednesday.

The incident happened at Singhiri village in the Nilagiri area of Odisha's Balasore district. The police has detained the accused father Chandan Mahana and the infant is undergoing treatment at Balasore hospital.

According to the police, Chandan Mahana and his wife Tanmayi were blessed with a baby girl on May 9. Tanmayi was staying with her parents at Singhiri village under Nilagiri police limits after the delivery in a local private hospital.

Last Monday, Chandan visited his in-law's place and allegedly injected his newborn daughter with a pesticide when Tanmayi was in the bathroom. Upon hearing the baby's cries, Tanmayi came out and found the syringe and pesticide bottle.

Tanmayi's father Bhagirathi Singh told the media that Chandan was sitting with the infant, and Tanmayi went to take a bath. When the baby started crying, Tanmayi rushed to her and found a syringe and a pesticide bottle lying below the bed.

Later, when the villagers gheraoed him, Chandan admitted to have administered the poison injection, he said.

"We have detained Chandan and during interrogation, he revealed that he was having doubts about the parentage of the child. So, he injected the pesticide into his daughter," said Balasore Superintendent of Police Sagarika Nath.

Tanmayi rejected the allegation of illicit affairs and demanded DNA testing of her daughter and husband.