Mumbai, August 10: The Mumbai police have arrested a man who allegedly tried to hang his daughter to get his estranged wife to return to live with him. The accused has been identified as Ajay Gaud, a resident of Malad. Fed up with frequent fights and physical beating, his wife Pooja had left with her four kids to live in her hometown in Uttar Pradesh two years ago. Gaud has been asking Pooja to come back and live with him. Mumbai Shocker: 15-Year-Old Girl Kills Mother With Karate Belt in Navi Mumbai, Tries to Pass it Off as Suicide.

After Pooja left, Gaud started to live with his father, his brother and brother’s family. A police officer told TOI that Gaud had been asking Pooja to come back, but she was adamant on not returning ever. About a month and a half ago, Gaud brought his two elder children, a 13-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy, to Mumbai for online education. He would allegedly beat the children when they used to speak with their mother over phone. Mumbai: Man Murdered For Seeking Sexual Favours From Eunuch in Baiganwadi; Six People Arrested.

On August 8, Gaud tied a dupatta to the ceiling fan of his house. He tied the other end of the scarf around his eldest daughter’s neck. He then asked her to stand atop an overturned bucket. He also told her to jump off so she would get strangled and die, TOI reported. He clicked photos of his daughter standing over the bucket with the intention to send them to his wife so that she returns to live with him, the report added.

Gaud's reportedly wanted to pass off the murder as suicide. Before doing this, he had also made his son to sleep. He then covered his body with a white sheet and lit up incense sticks around it. He took photos to make Pooja believe that her son had too died by suicide. His plans failed after his daughter raised an alarm before he could kill her.

The neighbours came to the girl's rescue and brought her down from the bucket safely. They also informed the police. Later, Gaud's brother lodged a complaint against him. Subsequently, Gaud was arrested.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 10, 2021 02:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).