J&K man strangulates minor daughter, then slits her throat in fit of rage

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday arrested a 36-year-old man in connection with the murder of his minor daughter in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

According to the police, the seven-year-old girl's body was first strangulated and then her throat was slit by her own father, who committed the crime in a fit of rage. The girl's body was later found in a nearby shed on March 29.

The incident occurred on March 29, when the man left his home following a fight with his wife.

According to Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Kupwara Yougal Manhas, the accused Muhammad Iqbal Khatana and his wife used to quarrel almost every day. "She had even slapped him on that day, which led a frustrated Khatana to leave his house with a sharp knife with him."

Khatana left his home with his daughter in his Tata Sumo, which his wife and locals besides his brother Showkat Ahmed had seen, according to the SSP.

“After investigations, the girl's father, Muhammad Iqbal Khatana, came to the fore as the prime suspect. After cross examining him, we came to know that he had first strangulated his daughter in his vehicle and then took her to a tin shed where he slit her throat,” the SSP told reporters.

After committing the gruesome act, Khatana himself went to the police station to lodge a missing report. The SSP said that after corroborating the evidence, Khatana was interrogated and he confessed to the crime.