BENGALURU: A 22-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly killing his 11-month-old daughter in Bengaluru after he reportedly kicked the infant and threw her onto the floor during a heated argument with his wife over suspicions of her fidelity, police said on Monday.The child’s mother has also been booked in the case and remains absconding.The incident took place on June 9 in Kithaganur, in east Bengaluru. According to Avalahalli police, Shekhappa and his wife, Vijayalakshmi, frequently quarrelled because he suspected her of being unfaithful.Police said that during one such argument, Shekhappa allegedly kicked the infant and hurled her onto the floor, leaving the child with critical injuries. The baby was rushed to a hospital but later died during treatment.The couple initially claimed that the child had accidentally fallen from a cot while Vijayalakshmi had fallen asleep while breastfeeding her. Based on their statement, police registered an unnatural death case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).However, investigators later found that the injuries were inconsistent with a fall from a two-foot-high cot. The post-mortem examination revealed extensive internal injuries, excessive bleeding and respiratory failure, prompting police to treat the death as a case of murder.Police subsequently booked both parents under Sections 103(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).Shekhappa, a tractor driver and a native of Yadgir district, has been arrested. Police are searching for Vijayalakshmi, who is currently absconding.The deceased was the couple’s second daughter.
