In a shocking incident, a man allegedly strangled his four-month-old daughter to death in Ghatkopar. The accused, identified as Sanjay Babu Kokare, was arrested by the Pant Nagar police. The deceased infant, Shreya Sanjay Kokare, was his third child. Reports suggest that the accused took this extreme step as he was struggling to bear the financial burden of raising three children.
The tragic incident took place on Friday, February 28, around 9:45 AM, in Galli No. 10 near Bhairav Vidyalaya, Kamaraj Nagar, Ghatkopar. The accused, Sanjay Kokare, worked as a daily wage laborer and lived with his wife, Shaila Kokare (36), and their three children. He already had two children, and four months ago, his wife gave birth to a daughter. Due to financial difficulties, he was reportedly unwilling to have a third child, which led to frequent arguments between the couple.
On the day of the incident, Shaila had left home for her daily chores, leaving baby Shreya asleep in the cradle. Taking advantage of the situation, Sanjay allegedly strangled his daughter to death. When Shaila returned and found her daughter unresponsive, she rushed her to Rajawadi Hospital, where doctors declared the infant dead on arrival.
Upon receiving information, Pant Nagar police reached the spot and sent the body for post-mortem. The autopsy report, received on Saturday, confirmed that the baby had been strangled. Following this revelation, the police detained Sanjay for questioning. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime, stating that he was unable to afford raising another child.
Based on a complaint filed by Shaila Kokare, a case of murder was registered against Sanjay under relevant sections of the IPC. The police arrested him and presented him before the court on Sunday afternoon. The court has remanded him to police custody for further investigation.
The brutal killing of an innocent four-month-old girl by her own father has sent shockwaves across the local community, with residents expressing outrage over the heinous crime.