A man working as a construction site supervisor in Gujarat’s Amreli district allegedly smothered his 5-year-old daughter to death at their house, and later died by suicide, the police said. According to police, financial woes may have driven the man to take the extreme step, and a probe into the incident is underway. 

The man who took the drastic step has been identified as Kishore Dhanak, who allegedly smothered his daughter, Himanshi and placed her body inside the refrigerator after she died. Following this, he hanged himself from a ceiling fan, owing to which he died, as per police. 

Three suicide notes found from scene

Police claimed that Dhanak was at home with his daughter on Wednesday when he took the extreme step. He allegedly covered Himanshi’s mouth with his hand, leading to her death, and subsequently placed the body in the fridge. 

Police said they recovered three suicide notes from the scene, which Dhanak reportedly left on a bed. On the final notes, Dhanak detailed on the financial woes being faced by him, coupled with explanations regarding his daughter’s murder and his suicide. 

The FIR registered in the case mentions that Dhanak had obtained a personal loan and had invested the money in construction-related work. His wife, Manjuben, told the cops that he was expecting Rs 7.25 lakh from his business partners, but did not receive the payment. 

In one of the notes, Dhanak mentioned that he had run out of money and could not find a way to subside his financial woes. 

“Did not want daughter to suffer”

In another note, he spilled the beans on killing his daughter, penning down that he did not want her to suffer after his death. Meanwhile, the third suicide note carried an apology and mentioned that the child’s body had been placed inside the refrigerator. 

Manjuben, who had gone to her father’s house on September 14, tried contacting Dhanak on Wednesday. However, when Dhanak went incommunicado, she asked her brother to visit the house and check on him. When Manjuben’s brother failed to receive a response at Dhanak’s house, he and his kin broke open the door and found Dhanak hanging from a ceiling fan. 

Balloons, candles, Happy Birthday note left behind

Police further said that several unusual arrangements were found inside the room. The room had reportedly been decorated with candles and balloons, while Himanshi was dressed in white clothes with a dupatta placed over her head. 

Investigating officer PL Chaudhary said cushions had been placed inside the refrigerator along with Himanshi’s body, and Tulsi leaves were found on her lips. Chocolates had been kept both inside the room and inside the refrigerator. 

The cops who visited the crime scene also found idols in the room, leading them to believing that a pooja (religious ritual) appeared to have been performed there. A paper bearing the words “Happy Birthday Himanshi” was also found on the refrigerator, although it was not the child’s birthday. 

Police believe that the decorations and other arrangements suggested that Dhanak may have intended to mark his daughter’s birthday before his death. They added that they have registered a case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and that a probe into the incident is still in progress.