INDORE: A man allegedly strangled his wife to death and threw his two minor children into a pond following a dispute over his suspicions about his wife’s character in Madhya Pradesh's Indore district, police said on Tuesday.
The incident took place at midnight on Monday in Jhalariya village under Kanadiya police station limits.
The accused, Sunil Chauhan, a driver and a native of Satwas area in neighbouring Dewas district, has been taken into custody, police said.
According to police, Chauhan took his wife Anita to a secluded area near their house and allegedly strangled her. He also allegedly stabbed her with a knife before leaving her body there. He then returned home, took his 13-year-old daughter Mahi and 12-year-old son Ajay to a nearby pond and allegedly threw both of them into the water. Ajay managed to survive and escape from the pond after pretending to be dead. He subsequently reached a nearby village and informed residents about the incident, following which police were alerted.
A police team reached Chauhan's house around 1 a.m., but he was not present there. He was later found wandering in the area and taken into custody, police said.
Police said the accused had also allegedly attempted to take his own life.
An SDRF team was called in after the police learnt that Mahi was missing. Due to darkness, the search could not be conducted immediately. The team reached the spot around 2.30 a.m. and recovered the girl's body from the pond around 3 a.m.
Police said the bodies of Anita and Mahi were sent for post-mortem examination.
Preliminary investigation suggests that Chauhan suspected his wife's character, though police are questioning him to ascertain the exact motive and sequence of events.
The incident has shocked residents of Jhalariya village, where police teams are carrying out further investigation. The surviving child is being provided medical care, police said.
A case is being registered against the accused and further investigation is underway, police added.
--IANS
