Navi Mumbai: Woman Kills Six-Year-Old Girl Over Desire for a Son, Police Say
Navi Mumbai: Woman Killed Six-Year-Old Girl Over Desire for a Son, Police Say
Police say the accused, a 30-year-old science graduate, was undergoing psychiatric treatment; death initially passed off as a medical emergency
A deeply disturbing case of alleged child murder has emerged from Navi Mumbai, where a 30-year-old woman has been arrested for strangling her six-year-old daughter because she wanted a male child, police officials said.
The incident came to light on December 23 in Kalamboli, when the woman took her daughter to a hospital, claiming the child had suddenly fallen unconscious due to health complications. Doctors declared the girl dead on arrival and alerted the police, suspecting the circumstances surrounding the death.
Kalamboli police sought a special post-mortem after noticing inconsistencies in the mother’s account. Preliminary findings indicated airway obstruction, prompting investigators to question the parents in detail. After nearly six hours of sustained interrogation, the woman allegedly confessed to strangling her daughter.
Police officials said the accused holds a Bachelor of Science degree and lives with her husband, an IT professional. The couple married in 2017, and their daughter was born two years later.
Investigators revealed that the woman was unhappy about having a girl child and had repeatedly expressed a desire for a son. Sources said she had also complained that the child had speech difficulties and she spoke only Hindi. She had told her husband she did not want “such a child.” The husband reportedly tried to reason with her on multiple occasions.
On the day of the incident, the child’s grandmother had visited the house but was unable to meet the girl. Later in the evening, when the husband returned home, he found the child unresponsive. She was rushed to a hospital, where the woman initially claimed the girl had suffered a heart attack, a version that raised immediate suspicion among medical staff and police.
Officials confirmed that the woman was undergoing psychiatric treatment for other issues at the time of the incident. The role of her mental health condition will be examined further during the investigation, police said.
The accused has been arrested, and further legal proceedings are underway.
Disclaimer: This report contains details of violence against a minor and may be distressing for some readers.
