Shocking Crime: Father Murders Daughter to Meet Election Eligibility Criteria
In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves across two states, Telangana police have apprehended a man from Maharashtra for the brutal murder of his own six-year-old daughter. The motive behind this heinous act was chillingly pragmatic: to become eligible to contest the upcoming gram panchayat elections in his home state.
The Gruesome Details of the Crime
Pandurang Kondamangale, a resident of Kerur village in Nanded district of Maharashtra, was arrested on Monday by authorities in Telangana. He stands accused of drowning his young daughter, Prachi, in the Nizamsagar canal located in Nizamabad district on January 29th of this year.
According to police officials, Pandurang first became the father of twin daughters, one of whom was Prachi. Later, he and his wife welcomed a son into their family. With three children, Pandurang found himself ineligible to contest the local body elections under Maharashtra's strict regulations that bar candidates with more than two children from running for office.
The Political Ambition That Turned Deadly
Investigators revealed that Pandurang had developed political aspirations with encouragement from Ganesh Shinde, the current sarpanch of Kerur village. Both men allegedly realized that Pandurang's three children made him ineligible to stand as a candidate in the panchayat elections scheduled to occur in approximately six months.
Nizamabad police commissioner P Sai Chaitanya provided disturbing details about the planning that preceded the murder. "The duo initially tried to give the girl up for adoption to couples wanting children," he stated. "When the attempt failed, they allegedly conspired to kill Prachi. On Jan 29, Pandurang came to Nizamsagar canal with Prachi and pushed her into the water before returning to his village."
How the Investigation Unfolded
The case came to light when police officers from Nizamabad's Bodhan rural police station began investigating the suspicious death of an unidentified girl whose body was discovered in the Nizamsagar canal. In a modern investigative approach, a constable uploaded a photograph of the deceased child as his WhatsApp status message, asking contacts to share any information that might help identify her.
This digital outreach proved crucial when police officers from Mukhed taluk in Maharashtra recognized the girl as Prachi, the missing daughter of local barber Pandurang Kondamangale. The identification occurred within just a few hours of the WhatsApp appeal being circulated.
Bodhan police officials subsequently contacted Pandurang and noticed inconsistencies in his responses to their questions. Growing suspicious, investigators tracked his mobile phone's tower locations and discovered that he had traveled to Telangana with Prachi. During interrogation, Pandurang allegedly broke down and confessed to the murder.
Additional Arrest and Legal Proceedings
In addition to Pandurang's arrest, authorities have taken into custody Ganesh Shinde, the sitting sarpanch of Kerur village. Shinde stands accused of assisting Pandurang in planning the murder to clear the path for his political ambitions.
The case highlights the extreme measures some individuals might consider when confronted with eligibility restrictions for political office. It also raises questions about the implementation and consequences of such regulations, particularly when they intersect with family planning decisions.
Police officials from both Telangana and Maharashtra are continuing their investigation into this tragic case, which has left a community grieving and raised serious concerns about the intersection of political ambition and criminal behavior.
