In a shocking case that has sent ripples across two states, a father of three from Maharashtra allegedly murdered his own six-year-old daughter by drowning her in a Telangana canal to become eligible for the upcoming panchayat elections under the state's two-child norm. The gruesome crime, driven by political ambition, was uncovered through an innovative police investigation that leveraged social media.
WhatsApp Status Leads to Breakthrough in Child Murder Case
The investigation took a crucial turn when a Telangana police constable uploaded a photograph of an unidentified child's body, discovered in the Nizamsagar canal, as his WhatsApp status. The constable appealed for information and leads from his contacts. This image was rapidly shared by colleagues across various police stations, creating a digital network of law enforcement collaboration.
Within hours, this digital outreach yielded results. A police officer from Mukhed taluka in Maharashtra recognized the child and contacted the Bodhan police station in Nizamabad, Telangana. The girl was identified as Prachi, the reportedly missing daughter of Pandurang Kondamangale, a barber from Kerur village in Maharashtra's Nanded district.
Political Ambition Turns Deadly
Pandurang, who has three children including a son and twin daughters, aspired to contest the panchayat elections in Maharashtra. However, the state's two-child norm for candidates rendered him ineligible. According to police officials, this ineligibility allegedly motivated the horrific crime.
"Pandurang, who also has a son, decided to kill Prachi to realise his political ambitions. He secretly travelled to Telangana with his child and drowned her in the Nizamsagar on January 29," an investigating officer revealed. The accused initially provided inconsistent statements to investigators, prompting them to verify his mobile tower locations. This technical evidence confirmed his presence in Telangana during the relevant period.
Confession and Co-conspirator Arrest
When a Telangana police team reached Pandurang's residence in Kerur village on Monday for interrogation, he reportedly broke down and confessed to murdering his daughter. Further investigation led to the arrest of Ganesh Shinde, the outgoing sarpanch of Kerur village, who faces charges of assisting Pandurang in plotting the murder.
"Ganesh had encouraged Pandurang to contest the panchayat elections," police sources indicated. Nizamabad Police Commissioner P Sai Chaitanya disclosed that the duo initially attempted to give Prachi up for adoption. "When that failed, they allegedly conspired to kill Prachi," the commissioner stated.
Investigative Jurisdiction and Initial Claims
The case has been registered at the Bodhan town police station in Telangana's Nizamabad district. Nanded Superintendent of Police Abinash Kumar clarified the jurisdictional aspects, noting that while Nanded police had initially apprehended the accused, the formal investigation rests with Telangana authorities.
"At that time, the accused had claimed that he did what he did because of financial constraints. He also said both his daughters were facing health issues. This was just the preliminary interrogation, and nothing could be taken on record as the case was registered in Bodhan. The accused had also changed his version several times," Kumar explained. He emphasized that Nanded police are no longer directly involved as the case is being handled exclusively by Nizamabad police.
This tragic incident highlights the extreme measures some individuals might consider to circumvent electoral regulations, while also demonstrating how modern communication tools can aid law enforcement in solving crimes that span multiple jurisdictions.
