A 17-year-old girl killed her father with a cricket bat after he repeatedly harassed her and made inappropriate advances towards her, police said. The incident took place in MIDC Police Station area, on Monday night. The deceased has been identified as 45-year-old Dharmpal (name changed). His daughter Punam (name changed) has been detained by the police. Dharmpal was a daily-wage labourer and reportedly spent most of his earnings on alcohol. He frequently quarrelled with his wife and children after drinking and assaulted them. His wife Rupa (name changed) worked as a domestic help to support the family.

 

Their daughter Punam is a Class XII student, while their 14-year-old son Darsh (name changed) studies in Class VIII. According to police, Dharmpal had been behaving inappropriately with Punam for nearly two years. He would touch her inappropriately and try to get close to her when he was drunk. On Monday night, Dharmpal returned home at around 8.50 pm in inebriated state. Rupa was away at work, while Darsh had gone out with friends. Punam was alone at home. Dharmpal called his daughter and tried to make her sit beside him. He then touched her inappropriately. When Punam resisted, he slapped her.

 

A scuffle followed. In heat of the moment, Punam picked up Darsh’s cricket bat and struck her father on the head twice. The first blow hit his forehead, while the second landed on the back of his head. Dharmpal collapsed and died on the spot. Punam panicked after finding her father dead. She tried to clean the blood stains with clothes. She initially thought of telling police that her father fell as he was drunk. When Rupa returned home, Punam told her about the incident. Both were frightened.

 

Darsh also returned home. The family did not immediately inform the police. Finally, at around 12.10 am, Punam called the police and reported the incident. DCP Zone I Rushikesh Singareddy and PI Baburao Raut reached the spot with their team. The body was sent for post-mortem. Police registered a murder case and questioned Punam. She reportedly told investigators that her father had physically abused the family for years and had been harassing her for the past two years. On Tuesday, Punam was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board. She was sent to a girls’ juvenile correctional home in Amravati. The body was handed over to the family after post-mortem.