Mentally-challenged 6 year old strangled

The Bhandup police has arrested a 25-year-old woman for killing her six-year-old step-daughter by strangulating her Monday evening. The woman committed the murder only a few months after her marriage and the post-mortem of the six-year-old, who was mentally challenged, revealed she had been subjected to extreme torture.

The accused, Pratibha Rajesh Sawant, married the deceased Sayli’s father six months ago after his first wife died owing to health issues. Sawant never liked Sayli and used to beat her several times, often making her cry, revealed neighbours.

On Monday, Sawant went to the extent of beating Sayli with a belt, and even burnt her body and her eye using an incense stick. A few minutes later, the girl fainted and Sawant strangulated her to death.

Police said Sayli’s father did not know how his second wife was treating his daughter. A police official said, “When the girl’s father returned home and saw his daughter dead, he informed us.”

“After we got the body, the doctor told us some body parts and her eyes were burnt too,” the official further added.

“After we interrogated the father, we came to know that the woman had managed to hide her ill treatment towards his daughter till date,” he said.

“She took advantage of the fact that the victim was unable to speak and most of the time, she would make her sleep before the husband arrived home,” he added.

The police said on a few occasions when the husband noticed some injury on his daughter’s body and enquired with his wife, she told him she had injured herself while playing, which he believed. The police has arrested the woman on charges of murder.