Delhi: Father kills 10-month-old daughter over cost of raising second girl child, fakes kidnapping

New Delhi: A 25-year-old man killed his 10-month-old daughter as he was unable to bear the financial burden of raising a second girl child, a police officer said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Deepak, strangulated the infant, dumped her body in the septic tank of his house and later fabricated a kidnapping story to mislead the police in Delhi's Bhalswa Dairy area, he said.

Her body was later recovered after Deepak broke down during interrogation and confessed to the crime.

Police said the accused had initially claimed that the child had gone missing from the house while stepping out to buy milk and biscuits on Saturday.

According to police, a call regarding the alleged kidnapping was received on May 24.

"A massive search operation due to the sensitive nature of the case was launched. Multiple police teams were formed immediately, and CCTV footage around the locality was scanned to trace the infant and identify possible suspects," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North district) Hareshwar Swami said in a statement.

During the probe, investigators found glaring inconsistencies in Deepak’s version of events. A detailed analysis of CCTV footage failed to support his claim that he had gone outside when the child was kidnapped, Swami said.

Additionally, Deepak’s father had said that when his son returned home, he could not find the infant.

"We then called people from the neighbourhood and started searching for her, but we could not find her. We informed the police, and a massive hunt was launched," he said.

Deepak’s wife Surya said she and their elder daughter suddenly fell unconscious after her husband went out.

"His movements could not be corroborated through any footage collected from nearby areas. Suspecting foul play, the teams intensified questioning and subjected the accused to sustained interrogation," the DCP said.

During questioning, Deepak confessed that he was under financial distress and felt incapable of bearing the expenses of raising another daughter, Swami said.

Following his confession, a team was immediately sent to his house to recover the child’s body. The recovery operation was conducted in the presence of forensic and crime teams, the officer said.

Police subsequently added Section 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita to the case and arrested the accused.

Police said Deepak, a resident of Mukundpur in Bhalswa Dairy, had studied till class 12 and worked as a school van driver for a private school.

Another police officer said investigators are also examining whether any other family members had prior knowledge of the crime or helped Deepak conceal evidence. Statements of family members and neighbours are being recorded as part of the probe.

"We are also probing the drug angle in the matter, as the family had claimed that they were unconscious. Teams are working on multiple angles," the officer said.