Daijiworld Media Network - Nanded
Nanded, Feb 3: In a shocking incident, a man from Maharashtra allegedly killed his six-year-old daughter to overcome the two-child norm and contest the upcoming Panchayat elections in the state. The accused, along with a village sarpanch, has been arrested by Telangana police.
Nizamabad Police on Monday said Pandurang Kondmangale (28), a resident of Kerur village in Mukhed taluka of Maharashtra’s Nanded district, pushed his daughter Prachi into the Nizam Sagar canal in Telangana’s Nizamabad district. Village sarpanch Ganesh Ramachandra Shinde was also arrested for his role in the conspiracy.
Nizamabad Police Commissioner P. Sai Chaitanya told reporters that the body of a young girl was found in the Nizam Sagar canal at Yedapally a few days ago. During the investigation, the child was identified as Prachi, a resident of Kerur village. Police questioned her father, who initially attempted to mislead investigators by claiming that the child was undergoing treatment at a health centre. Upon sustained interrogation, he confessed to the crime.
Police said Pandurang, who runs a barber shop in his village, was keen to contest the forthcoming Panchayat elections but was disqualified under Maharashtra’s two-child norm, as he has a three-year-old son and twin daughters aged six. He allegedly discussed the issue with his friend Ganesh Shinde, the current sarpanch of the village, and the two conspired to eliminate one of the children.
According to investigators, the accused initially explored options such as adoption and abandoning the child, but rejected them fearing legal and social consequences. They then decided to kill Prachi and make it appear as an accident.
As Nizamabad district is located just a few kilometres from his village, Pandurang took the child on a motorcycle to the Nizam Sagar canal and pushed her into the water before fleeing the spot. Villagers working in nearby fields reportedly heard a splash and rushed to the canal, where they found the girl’s body floating and alerted the police.
The case took a crucial turn after photographs of the unidentified girl were circulated on social media. A person from the Maharashtra village recognised Prachi from a photograph seen as the display picture on a WhatsApp number linked to a police official and informed the authorities.
Subsequently, a police team visited the village, conducted inquiries and arrested Pandurang and the sarpanch. Further investigation into the case is underway.