Nanded: A man aspiring to contest the upcoming panchayat elections and become sarpanch allegedly killed his six-year-old daughter to make himself eligible under the two-child norm. The incident took place in Kurur village of Mukhed taluka in Nanded district.
The accused, Pandurang Kondamangle (28), a resident of Brahali Chowk in Kurur village, allegedly drowned his daughter Prachi (6) on Kattapalli–Bodhan Road in Telangana on Jan 29.
According to police, Kondamangle conspired with the village sarpanch, Ganesh Shinde, to reduce the number of children on record. The duo initially explored options such as giving one child up for adoption and even approached the Pune Municipal Corporation to alter documents. However, after learning that birth records could not be legally changed, they allegedly decided to stage a murder as an accident.
On Jan 29, Kondamangle took Prachi on a motorcycle to Yedpalli in the Nizamabad district of Telangana state and pushed her into a canal near the roadside. Farm workers nearby heard a splash and later found the child’s body floating in the water, informing the police.
Telangana Police recovered the body. As the body had not been submerged for long, police were able to trace her identity quickly. Photographs were circulated through social media, leading to her identification as Prachi.
The Telangana Police informed Mukhed Police about the incident, following which Kondamangle was arrested by Yedapally Police on Jan 30.
“The incident happened on Jan 29. On the same day, we received information about the dead body of a minor found. Moreover, we received a tip-off that the girl was missing from Kerur village. Our police team reached the village but was unable to meet the girl’s father. Around 10pm, the accused arrived at the police station. During interrogation, he admitted to the crime. He said that his financial condition is weak and the girls often fall sick. Therefore, he took his daughter on a motorcycle and pushed her into the canal,” Police Inspector Laxman Kendre from Mukhed police station informed.
Police said Kondamangle, a barber by profession, intended to contest the panchayat elections. He had three children — one son and twin daughters — making him ineligible to contest under government rules that bar candidates with more than two children. Investigations revealed that he allegedly hatched a plan with the present sarpanch, Shinde, to kill one of his children to overcome this disqualification.
While taking Prachi, the accused told his wife that he was taking her to Nanded. Instead, he travelled to Namazsagar Lake in Nizamabad district.
The accused has been handed over to the Yedapally Police for further investigation.
Despite contacting the Nizamabad police, no response has been received from them yet.
