Delhi, November 19: Driven by their preference for a male child, a man and his family in Delhi's Sultanpuri allegedly murdered his three-day-old twin daughters and buried them to conceal the crime. The shocking act came to light after the wife of the accused reported the incident to the police. The family reportedly neglected the infants’ care, depriving them of essential medical treatment before killing them. The crime was allegedly premeditated, motivated by dowry harassment and gender bias. The police have filed an 800-page chargesheet detailing the family’s conspiracy and the brutal murder.

According to a Times of India report, the tragic incident took place on June 1, after Neeraj Solanki, the 30-year-old father of the twins, and his family were displeased with the birth of girls. Neeraj's wife, Pooja, had given birth to the twins at a hospital in Rohtak on May 30. Upon her discharge, Neeraj and his family, under the pretext of taking her to her parents’ home in Ismaila, Rohtak, diverted to Sultanpuri, where they allegedly carried out the gruesome crime. Delhi Shocker: 28-Year-Old Man Killed After His Uncle Confronts 2 Brothers for Harassing Girl in Sunder Nagari, Accused Arrested.

The police chargesheet, which was filed in August, named Neeraj and four other family members, including his parents, Vijender and Chand Kaur, his brother Dinesh, and his sister-in-law Monika, for conspiring to murder the infants. The charges include murder, foeticide, infanticide, and dowry-related offences. The investigation revealed that the family had planned the murder in advance, neglecting the newborns’ basic needs to ensure their demise. They then buried the twins' bodies to destroy evidence of their crime and conceal their actions. Delhi Shocker: 8-Year-Old Boy Hit on Head With Brick After He Resists Sex Assault in Shaheen Bagh, Dies; Accused Arrested.

Pooja, who married Neeraj in February 2022, had been facing constant harassment for dowry by her in-laws. She also revealed that during her pregnancy, she was coerced into undergoing a sex determination test, which she refused. In her statement, Pooja said that her family-in-law had expressed a clear preference for a male child, and their disappointment over the birth of twin girls likely led to the tragic outcome. Neeraj, who tried to evade arrest by changing his location multiple times, was finally apprehended in Haryana’s Rohtak.

Women and Child Helpline Numbers:

Childline India – 1098; Missing Child and Women – 1094; Women’s Helpline – 181; National Commission for Women Helpline – 112; National Commission for Women Helpline Against Violence – 7827170170; Police Women and Senior Citizen Helpline – 1091/1291.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2024 11:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).