Satara: Father arrested for killing 17-year-old daughter with cricket bat after family quarrel
Police say the girl died of a blow to the head during a quarrel at home; neighbours dispute the father's account of her behaviour.
The killing of a 17-year-old girl in Satara has shaken the district. The father is alleged to have struck his daughter on the head with a cricket bat in anger after a quarrel at home. Police have arrested him. The girl is not being named because she was a minor.
Different claims about the incident emerged at first. The reasons the father has given police are now being questioned too.
During questioning, the father is said to have claimed that his daughter had gone astray and developed a drug habit, and that he took the step because he was fed up with her behaviour. According to available reports, the police inquiry has also found that her behaviour led to repeated quarrels at home. Her parents had also begun counselling and treatment for her.
Local residents tell a different story. Neighbours and others in the area say the girl was friendly, spoke sweetly to people around her and got along with everyone. This has raised questions about the reasons the father gave. Whether the neighbours' claims are correct, or whether what the family said about her behaviour is closer to the truth, will be clear only after the investigation.
According to available information, on Saturday night the girl quarrelled with her younger siblings over watching television. Police said she hit her younger sister during the quarrel. She is then claimed to have run towards her father with a bat. The father is alleged to have snatched the bat from her and struck her on the head with it, causing her death.
Police are also investigating whether an attempt was made to cover up the matter after her death. It is reported that an attempt was initially made to make it appear that the girl had injured herself. However, after an inspection of the spot and forensic examination, police suspicion grew. Police said serious facts against the father emerged in questioning afterwards.
Police are now trying to establish the circumstances the girl was in, how accurate the family's claims about her behaviour are, and exactly what happened on the night of the incident. With the father's claim on one side and the neighbours' differing account on the other, many questions in the case remain unanswered. The full truth behind the killing will emerge only from the police investigation.
