AHMEDABAD: A man has been arrested for killing his seven-year-old daughter by throwing her into a canal in Gujarat’s Kheda district, reportedly because he wanted a son.
The accused, Vijay Solanki, a resident of Chelawat village in Kapadvanj taluka, was arrested after his wife, Anjanaben Solanki, revealed the truth days after the incident. The murder took place on the night of Guru Purnima, July 10, during a supposed family outing to the Deepeshwari Mata temple.
Police said Vijay had always been unhappy about not having a son and often showed dislike towards his daughters.
Despite having two daughters, Bhumika, 7, and a three-year-old, his obsession with having a male child eventually led him to commit the murder.
On the night of the crime, Vijay took Anjanaben and Bhumika on a motorbike to the temple. After a rushed visit, he insisted they return immediately. As they passed the Waghawat bridge over the Narmada Canal, he stopped the bike and lured his crying daughter to the canal's edge under the pretence of showing her fish.
Before Anjanaben could react, Vijay threw the child into the canal. He threatened his wife with divorce if she ever spoke of the incident.
The following day, Bhumika’s body was discovered in the canal, and an accidental death case was initially filed. Being threatened by her husband, Anjanaben told police that Bhumika had fallen into the canal.
However, Anjanaben later confided to her brothers, who urged her to come forward. She then filed a formal complaint at the Atarsuba police station, revealing the truth.
During interrogation, Solanki confessed to the crime, saying he did not want daughters and wanted to “make room” for a son. It was also revealed that he had been harassing Anjanaben since the birth of their second daughter, pushing her to her parents’ home on multiple occasions, only to lure her back with false reconciliations.
District Superintendent of Police, Rajesh Gadhiya, confirmed the sequence of events and stated that the original accidental death case has now been converted into a murder investigation. Police are also probing allegations from Anjanaben’s family that Vijay may have acted on superstitious beliefs and intended to sacrifice his daughter. However, no evidence of ritualistic motives has emerged yet.
Solanki has been taken to custody and under charges of murder, criminal intimidation, and domestic abuse. Authorities have assured that swift and strict action will be taken to deliver justice for Bhumika.
