A small house in Wathoda woke up to a ghastly sight on Wednesday morning. An eight-year-old girl, who should have been getting ready for school and playing with friends, was brutally murdered by her father who stabbed sharp-edged weapon on her chest when she was asleep. According to police, the incident took place around 5.30 am at the house where the child was living with her father and grandmother. The accused, Shekhar Shendre (46), was having frequent arguments with his wife Shubhangi, who has been living separately for some time. Their daughter, Dhanashree (8), was staying with her father and grandmother, Kusumbai Krishnarao Shendre (71).

 

Police said, the couple had been involved in a bitter dispute over the child’s custody. Shubhangi had been insisting that Dhanashree should live with her, while Shekhar was strongly opposed to it. “There were constant quarrels between the couple over the custody issue. This tension appears to have triggered the crime,” a police officer said. On Wednesday morning, in a sudden fit of anger, Shekhar allegedly attacked his daughter with a knife and stabbed her in the chest. Police said, he reportedly shouted that he would not hand over the child to her mother. Hearing the child’s screams, her grandmother Kusumbai and uncle Umesh rushed to the spot and found her lying in a pool of blood. “They immediately brought the injured girl to the Wathoda Police Station and sought help,” said the police official. Despite the efforts of doctors, Dhanashree succumbed to her injuries during treatment.

 

Doctors declared her dead shortly after she was admitted. News of the incident spread quickly, and a crowd gathered at the hospital and outside the accused’s house. Based on the complaint filed by Kusumbai Shendre, the police registered a case against Shekhar Shendre under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. “The accused has been arrested and is in police custody. We are questioning him to understand the exact sequence of events and the motive behind the crime,” the police offiical said. Senior police officials said further investigation is underway and statements of family members and neighbours are being recorded.