Man Kills 4 Young Daughters, Attempts Suicide After Not Being Allowed To Marry Sister-In-Law

A man in India has allegedly killed his four minor daughters by poisoning them before trying to take his own life because his in-laws turned down his proposal to marry his sister-in-law.

The tragic incident took place in the Barmer district in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. The accused, identified only as Pukharam, dumped his minor daughters, 18-month-old Vasundhara, 3-year-old Lakshmi, 5-year-old Noji and 8-year-old and Jeeyo, in a water tank after they lost consciousness due to the poison, reported local news outlet The Times of India.

The mother of the four children succumbed to COVID-19 complications in May. Her demise reportedly made Pukharam depressed and worried about bringing up his daughters on his own.

Pukharam then approached his in-laws with the proposal of marrying his sister-in-law so she could raise his children. However, his in-laws never accepted his proposal, according to the outlet. This reportedly made the man angry.

Pukharam picked up his daughters from his in-laws' place and late at night on Sept. 17 and gave them poison. He then threw them into a water tank and attempted suicide by consuming insecticide, Barmer SP Anand Sharma told the outlet.

A suicide note was reportedly recovered from Pukharam's phone. He is currently being treated at the district hospital. As for the children, their bodies will be turned over to the family after an autopsy.

Pukharam confessed to his crime during police interrogation, Times Now News said in a report. His in-laws have already filed a case against him for killing his children.

In December 2019, another man in India killed his three minor daughters by pushing them into a well and died by suicide because he was upset over his wife giving birth to another daughter. The incident took place in the western Indian state of Gujarat. The man, identified as 35-year-old Rasik Solanki, killed his daughters, aged 7, 5 and 3, before hanging himself outside their home. An investigation revealed he worked as a farm laborer and was facing financial difficulties. According to authorities, his wife and their newborn were at the maternal place when the incident took place.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.