Couple arrested for killing ‘adopted’ four-year-old daughter in Maharashtra

A couple from Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district has been arrested for allegedly murdering their four-year-old ‘adopted’ daughter and attempting to conceal the crime by hastily conducting her last rites, an official said on Friday, as per PTI.

The accused, identified as Fauzia Shaikh (27) and her husband Faheem Shaikh (35), were residents of Sillod. According to PTI reports, the couple had reportedly adopted the child, named Aayat, six months ago. However, the circumstances surrounding her adoption are now under investigation to determine whether it was legally conducted.

The incident came to light when Aayat was taken to the sub-district hospital around 3 am on Wednesday. However, doctors declared her dead on arrival. While the couple initially claimed the child had succumbed to an illness or health complication, suspicions arose when a local resident alerted the police, stating that Aayat had not died of natural causes, PTI reports.

Acting swiftly, law enforcement officials intervened before the couple could proceed with the child’s burial. The body was immediately sent for post-mortem, which revealed multiple injuries on Aayat’s body, confirming foul play. As per PTI, investigators subsequently questioned Fauzia Shaikh, who allegedly admitted to physically assaulting the child.

Speaking to PTI, an official from Sillod police station stated, “The post-mortem findings pointed to multiple injuries. Fauzia confessed to beating the child. While we have booked both the accused for murder, we are also verifying whether the adoption was carried out legally.”

In a similar incident earlier this year, a father in Mumbai was arrested for strangling his four-month-old daughter to death in Ghatkopar.

The Pant Nagar police arrested the 40-year-old accused after Rajawadi Hospital reported the case. The child was brought in by her parents, but medical examination revealed strangulation marks on her neck. Initially, the father denied any involvement, but later confessed to using a cradle rope to kill the infant.

During interrogation, the accused cited financial constraints as the reason behind his actions. He had been unemployed for eight years and already had two sons. Police investigations also revealed that the couple had previously attempted to abort the child but were denied as the pregnancy had progressed beyond five months.

(With inputs from PTI)