A session court in Bhopal on Thursday sentenced Sarita Mewada to life imprisonment for the murder of her one-month-old daughter and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000.
The court, presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Atul Saxena, found Sarita guilty under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 302. The judge awarded life imprisonment to the convict and imposed the fine as per the section.
The tragic incident took place in September 2020. Sarita had hoped for a boy but gave birth to a girl. She reportedly began cursing herself every time she looked at her daughter. Taking advantage of a situation where she was alone at home, Sarita killed her daughter by placing her in a water tank.
Public Prosecutor Sudhavijay Singh Bhadoria shared details of the case, saying, “The case is related to the incident that took place on September 16, 2020. Sarita claimed that she laid her daughter on a cot, but when she checked later, the child was missing. She was the only one in the house at the time. Later, the baby was found dead in a water tank inside the house.”
Sarita’s husband, Sachin Mewada, testified that when he confronted Sarita, she confessed to the crime, saying, “She put her one-month-old daughter in the water tank and closed the lid.” Bhadoria added, “Sarita had hoped for a boy, but when she gave birth to a girl, she did not love her. She cursed herself every time she saw her. Taking the opportunity when no one was around, she killed her daughter and did not reveal it out of fear.”
Following the incident, an FIR was filed under IPC Section 302 at Khajuri Sadak police station. The investigation gathered evidence from the crime scene, and after a thorough probe, a charge sheet was presented in court.
During the trial, the court accepted the evidence, arguments, and precedents presented by the prosecution, convicting Sarita and sentencing her to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000.
The court, while delivering the judgment, made an important remark: “Daughters are a powerful signature of civilisation, culture, and nation-building in the present era.”