Man nabbed for ‘killing’ sick infant daughter by throwing her into drain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 21

A man was arrested for allegedly throwing his one-and-a-half-year-old daughter in a drain since she was keeping sick and would cry a lot, said a police official today.

The child's body was recovered from the drain today, almost 56 hours after her father Rashid Zamal (40), who claimed to be inebriated, had thrown her in the drain in Jamia Nagar, Southeast Delhi.

The police were informed on September 19 around midnight by Mofida Begum (32) that her husband Rashid Zamal had kidnapped their daughter and took her to a secret location.

She told the police that Zamal began beating her in front of their three children - a teenage son, a four-year-old son and the infant daughter.

After beating his wife, he took to thrashing his two sons but they ran away from there.

Since the time the girl was born, she used to fall sick quite often and on the day when Zamal was beating Mofida, the child was unwell and was crying, the official said.

Zamal, who was under the influence of liquor, was annoyed after hearing the child's cries.

He picked up the child and banged its head multiple times against the floor of the shanty they stayed in.

Mofida pleaded with him to stop but he did not listen to her. She then ran out to get help from her neighbours but Zamal took the girl with him and ran away.

Mofida informed the police and a search operation for Zamal and the child was launched.

After a few hours, Zamal was traced but he could not recollect the incident and told the police that he had left the child near a drain.

He was arrested on charges of kidnapping his daughter, the official said.

Meanwhile, the police sought help from the Delhi Fire Services, National Disaster Response Force’s Quick Response Team divers to find out the child.

The divers searched for the child in the drain that Zamal had pointed to but the body was not found. This morning, Zamal recalled throwing the girl in another drain nearby after sustained interrogation, the official added.

The drivers searched through the bog and recovered the body today. Zamal had been charged with murder.

Zamal and his wife worked as ragpickers. He is addicted to alcohol. He has been married twice earlier and has eight children in total. One of his wives is in Assam while another has died.

He belongs to Assam and was earlier living in Madanpur Khadar. The police are looking whether he has any previous criminal record. (With PTI inputs)