Man, 40, strangles infant daughter in Ghatkopar

The police found that the accused had been fighting with his wife over the child as he did not want her.

MUMBAI: A 40-year-old father who allegedly strangled his 4-month-old daughter was arrested on Saturday. During the investigation, the police found that the accused had been fighting with his wife over the child as he did not want her.

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The arrested accused, Sanjay Babu Kokare, 40, is a resident of Kamraj Nagar in Ghatkopar (East). Sanjay is unemployed, and his wife, Shaila Kokare, a domestic worker, is the breadwinner of the family. The couple has two children. Sanjay began fighting with his wife once the third child was born. As taking care of the new daughter would mean an addition to already mounting expenses, he suggested they could give away the baby to someone. Shaila opposed this and said she could take care of her newborn daughter, said a police officer.

On Friday evening, after Shaila went to work, the 4-month-old baby was crying. Sanjay could not stop her cries, so in a fit of rage, he strangled her with a rope. The incident came to light after Shaila returned from work. She immediately informed the police. The Pant Nagar police registered a case against Sanjay under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.