MP grandmother held for killing 20-day-old baby girl over desire for boy
A 60-year-old woman in Madhya Pradesh has been arrested for the murder of her 20-day-old granddaughter. Police report the motive was the grandmother's desire for a male heir and her dissatisfaction with the birth of a girl.
Why it matters
Highlights the persistent and tragic issue of gender-based violence and son preference in parts of India.
TIKAMGARH: A 20-day-old baby girl was allegedly strangled to death by her grandmother in Madhya Pradesh’s Tikamgarh district as she wanted a boy, police said on Sunday.The incident took place in Banne Buzurg village under Palera police station limits. The accused, Rekha, 60, has been arrested and sent to judicial custody.According to police, the baby’s father, Dhaniram, works as a labourer in Delhi, while his wife, Pukkhan, had been staying at her in-laws’ house during her pregnancy. She gave birth to a girl 20 days ago.Police said the grandmother had been unhappy since the child’s birth and allegedly taunted her daughter-in-law for not giving birth to a boy.Investigators said that around 3 am, while the mother and the infant were asleep, the accused allegedly picked up the baby, took her outside the house and strangled her.
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