A man is accused of fatally poisoning his 18-month-old daughter in Andhra Pradesh, India, reportedly due to her “dark skin.”
The father, identified as Mahesh, allegedly gave poisoned prasadam (a religious offering) to his daughter Akshaya, later claiming to his wife Shravani that the child succumbed to seizures, as per reports from an Indian news source.
Local law enforcement apprehended Mahesh and initiated a first information report against him for the alleged murder of his daughter.
Authorities mentioned that Shravani accused her husband and his family of mistreating her because their baby had a darker skin tone.
Shravani reported that she discovered Akshaya, who was 18 months old, unconscious with a nosebleed on March 31.
Medical professionals at Karempudi hospital pronounced Akshaya dead upon her arrival at the facility, following a rapid decline in her health.
Following the death, Mahesh reportedly persuaded Shravani to mislead others about their daughter’s demise and proceeded to bury the child without any formal inquiry.
Shravani’s mother, suspecting foul play in the death, took the matter to the local village council (panchayat).
Subsequently, Shravani disclosed the history of abuse by her husband to her kin and lodged a police complaint.
She further claimed that Mahesh had made several attempts on their daughter’s life in the past.
Shravani narrated incidents where Mahesh allegedly tried to murder their daughter by hurling her against a wall and, on another occasion, attempting to drown her in a bathtub.
