The body of a 6-year-old girl who was strangled by her stepmother was buried at Nellimuttam Juma Masjid at around 11 am on Saturday (December 21) after cremation.
He was reportedly found dead in his house at Kuttilanji Puthupalam in Pajurmolam ward of Nellikuzhi panchayat near Kothamangalam on Thursday morning. Anisha, the 23-year-old stepmother of Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, was arrested the same evening on charges of murder.
The body has been handed over to Ajas Khan, father of the deceased. He was detained along with his wife but was later released after the police found no evidence of his involvement in the alleged murder.
Khan told the media on Saturday that it was Anisha who screamed that the baby was not waking up, and that despite her occasional anger towards the baby, he never suspected it. He added that he warned him not to harm the child after the neighbor informed him that the child had been beaten.
Khan said if his wife didn’t like it, he would transfer the baby. When local “magician” Naushad was asked about consulting his wife, he said it was because of the problems he faced after the first miscarriage. Anisha, who is pregnant, also has a daughter from her first marriage.
According to the police, Anisha felt unsafe when Khan’s wife contacted him to inquire about her daughter. They reportedly struggled to get a confession from her, as she allegedly pretended to be “possessed” and blamed an “evil spirit” for her actions.
Meanwhile, the police arrested 56-year-old Naushad of Nellikuzhi on Saturday. He was initially booked under the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act on Friday.
published – Dec 21, 2024 10:38 pm IST