Chhattisgarh girl allegedly killed by parents for not preparing food: Cops

The incident took place in Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district on June 29 and the girl’s skeleton was found deep under a forest on August 27, police said

Published on: Aug 30, 2022, 19:38:24 IST

By Ritesh Mishra

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

An 11-year-old girl from Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district was allegedly killed by her parents for not preparing food, police said on Tuesday.

The girl’s parents had lodged missing complaint two months ago. (Representative Image)

Police said that the incident took place on June 29 and the body of the victim was recovered on August 27 from a nearby forest. The accused parents were arrested on Monday, officials added.

According to the police, Vishwanath Ekka, a resident of village Khala, informed them on August 27 that his daughter’s skeleton was found deep under the forest atop of a hill.

The same person had lodged a missing report of his daughter, Nyasa Ekka, two months ago. In the missing complainant, Vishwanath mentioned that his daughter went missing on June 29 after she left the school.

After the body was recovered on August 27, police started investigating the case and called forensic experts to investigate the matter.

“The crime scene investigation suggested that culprits had attempted to portray it as suicide but circumstances pointed to suspicious conduct. We got a postmortem report which suggested that the body had fractures on skull and nose. Subsequently, we started taking statements from the family members,” said inspector general of police, Surguja Range, Ajay Yadav.

Police found contradictions in statements given by parents of the deceased as no satisfactory reply was provided about how they recovered the body.

“When school attendance sheet was examined, it was found that the missing girl child had not been attending school since June 24, however, the family gave misleading information constantly saying that their daughter went missing on June 29,” the IG added.

After continuous interrogation, the parents confessed that the murder took place over a minor issue.

“On the day of the incident, Vishwanath asked his daughter why she had not released cattle for grazing and thereafter he asked for food, which she had not prepared as per his instructions. Vishwanath started beating her daughter due to which she suffered head injuries and died. Vishwanath’s wife Dilso hid the body inside the house and later in the evening disposed of the body inside the forest,” the IG said, adding that parents were abusive towards the girl as per the statements of their neighbours.

To be sure, a confession or disclosure statement of any person made before a police officer is not admissible as evidence before a court unless it is backed by other evidence. Only a confession before a judge is admissible as evidence against an accused.

Both the accused were arrested under Sections 302 (Murder) and 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sent to judicial custody, the IG added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.