‘Drunk’ father throws infant in Delhi drain, body fished out after 56 hours

An “inebriated” man was arrested after he allegedly kidnapped and killed his one-year-old daughter by throwing her into a drain in south Delhi’s Jamia Nagar on Tuesday. The girl’s body was fished out on Thursday, around 56 hours after she was thrown in, police said.

Romil Baaniya, deputy commissioner of police (south-east), said the accused was drunk and got enraged over his daughter’s incessant crying. After an argument with his wife over the issue, the father, identified as Rashid Jamal, allegedly left his house with the child.

Police said that by the time Jamal’s wife Mofida Begum could seek help from family members and neighbours, the accused had allegedly thrown the girl into a nearby drain.

The Delhi police arrested the accused after his family members and locals apprehended him near the drain.

According to Baaniya, the Jamia Nagar police was informed about an alleged kidnapping of a girl child on Tuesday. A sub-inspector reached the drain where he met the girl’s mother along with other locals.

“Jamal was also found at the spot in an inebriated condition. He had been beaten up by the locals. The crowd gathered at the site alleged that Jamal killed his daughter by throwing her into the drain. When questioned by the officer, Jamal admitted to the crime,” said the DCP, adding that a case of kidnapping was registered against Jamal and he was arrested.

Rescue teams and divers from fire department and NDRF were called to the site and a search operation was launched. The search continued through Wednesday and Thursday as the child’s body could not be found.

“After more than 56 hours, the body was fished out from the drain on Thursday. We added the murder charges in the FIR,” the officer said. The child’s body was sent to a government hospital’s mortuary for autopsy, said police.