Father Kills Six-Year-Old Daughter to Qualify for Panchayat Elections

In a deeply disturbing case that has sent shockwaves across two states, police in Nizamabad district have arrested a 28-year-old man from Maharashtra for allegedly murdering his six-year-old daughter in an attempt to qualify for local body elections . A sitting village sarpanch accused of advising him has also been taken into custody.

According to investigators, the accused is from Kerur village in Mukhed taluka of Nanded district and runs a small salon. He lived with his wife and three children, two daughters and a son. Police say he intended to contest the upcoming Gram Panchayat elections for the post of sarpanch. However, the state’s two-child norm disqualifies individuals with more than two children from contesting, which reportedly became the motive behind the crime.

During the investigation, officers found that the man had explored multiple ways to get around the eligibility restriction. He allegedly considered giving a child up for adoption and even tried to alter birth records , but these efforts failed. Police believe that after failing to change documentation, he hatched a plan to eliminate one child and later present it as a missing case .

On January 29 , the accused reportedly took his younger daughter on a motorcycle ride from Maharashtra into Telangana. Nearly 90 kilometres away, near a canal , he allegedly threw the child into the water, leading to her death by drowning . Local residents later spotted the body and alerted police.

Police registered a suspicious death case and formed special investigation teams to identify the child. After her photograph was circulated, people from the Mukhed area recognized her, helping officers trace her family. Questioning and evidence pointed to the father’s involvement, leading to his arrest. The probe also revealed the alleged role of the sarpanch in encouraging him while discussing ways to meet election eligibility criteria.

Authorities have invoked serious charges including murder , kidnapping , and criminal conspiracy under Indian criminal law. The incident has triggered widespread outrage, raising debate over the impact of strict election eligibility rules and how political ambition intersected with a horrific family tragedy. Police said further investigation is underway.