'Papa...hanged her body': Girl's drawing casts doubt on mother's 'suicide'
What's the story
A drawing by a four-year-old girl in Jhansi has cast doubt on the claims by her father's family that her mother died by alleged suicide.
The child's mother, Sonali Budholia, was earlier reported to have died by suicide by her in-laws. However, the case took a new turn when the daughter accused her father of murder.
In a video, the child is seen drawing a figure, purportedly depicting her father beating her mother.
Allegations
Victim's father alleges dowry harassment, abuse
She also said that before her father strangled her, her grandma shoved her mother down the stairs.
Sonali's father, Sanjeev Tripathi, a resident of Madhya Pradesh's Tikamgarh district, alleged that his daughter was harassed and abused by her husband and in-laws.
He alleged that despite giving ₹20 lakh as dowry during the wedding in 2019, Sandeep and his family demanded a car soon after.
When these demands weren't met, Sonali was subjected to physical and mental abuse.
Evidence
Daughter's sketch leads to father's arrest
Things took a turn for the worse after Sonali delivered a daughter, Darshita.
Allegedly wanting a son, Sandeep abandoned Sonali at the hospital after delivery.
Talking to reporters after her mother's last rites, Darshita told reporters, "Papa assaulted and killed mummy. He then said 'die if you want to'. He hanged her body and hit her head with a stone. Later, he brought down the body and dumped it inside a sack."
Investigation
Autopsy underway, investigation launched
According to NDTV, she also alleged that her father had threatened to kill her mother earlier.
Following Darshita's allegations, Sandeep has been arrested and authorities are on the lookout for other suspects involved.
Police officer Ramveer Singh confirmed an autopsy is underway and an investigation has been launched.
"We got a call about the woman's death at her husband's house under mysterious circumstances," Singh said. "Her parents have alleged that she was murdered. We are probing the case," he added.