Jalandhar, Feb 5 (IANS) In a shocking incident in Jalandhar, Punjab, a father allegedly strangled his five-year-old daughter to death. The child’s only fault was that she was crying continuously, and her father could not tolerate the sound. So, instead of comforting the child to stop the crying he assaulted her brutally, resulting in her death.

The accused allegedly first picked up the child and threw her on the ground. When she cried even louder due to shock and pain, he allegedly strangled her, killing her on the spot.

The shocking incident took place in Doordarshan Enclave in Jalandhar and police have arrested the accused father.

According to information received, the accused has been identified as Arvinder Singh, a daily wage labourer originally from Chhattisgarh, who currently lived in Doordarshan Enclave. The child’s uncle, Himmat Kumar, filed a complaint, based on which the police took immediate action and arrested Arvinder.

The complaint stated that Arvinder Singh was addicted to drugs and also frequently consumed alcohol. The family was reportedly living under financial strain and domestic tension.

Arvinder worked as a daily wage labourer, while his wife worked as a domestic helper to support the household. Their five-year-old daughter, Niharika, was living with them amid the difficult circumstances.

On February 3, Niharika’s mother had gone to work, and only the accused and the child were at home. During this time, Arvinder was reportedly consuming alcohol. Around 2:30 pm, the child began crying due to hunger.

Police sources said the accused allegedly tried to silence her by putting alcohol in her mouth. He then allegedly picked her up and threw her down. It is further reported that when the child continued to cry despite repeated attempts to quieten her, Arvinder lost his temper and strangled his daughter to death.

Soon after, neighbours came to know about the incident. The locality was left in shock, and the house was filled with grief.

The child’s mother was devastated. When she returned from work and learnt about her daughter’s death, she broke down crying as Niharika was her only child.

Police arrested the accused and produced him before a court. He was sent to two days of police custody for further investigation.

Meanwhile, incidents of violence against children have been reported from other parts of the country as well.

Last month, in Northeast Delhi, a 12-year-old Class 7 student, Altamash, was found murdered in a forested area. His stepfather is accused of luring him away from school before attacking him with a sharp weapon. Police sources said the victim was not only killed but also had his eyes gouged out and sustained a fractured hand.

In another case from Haryana, police in Faridabad’s Sector 58 arrested a man for the brutal murder of his two-year-old stepson on January 25. The victim was one of three children from his mother’s first marriage.

Investigators said the accused had a history of hostility towards the child and often subjected him to physical abuse over minor issues. On the day of the incident, the toddler was allegedly beaten so severely that he lost consciousness. Although family members rushed him to a hospital, doctors declared him brought dead.

–IANS

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