Tripura Jawan Poisons 1-Year-Old Daughter. He Reportedly Wanted A Son

A Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel has been accused of poisoning his one-year-old daughter, reportedly because he wanted a son.

The incident took place on Friday night in Behalabari village, located in Tripura's Khowai district. The child was initially taken to the Khowai District Hospital and later referred to GB Hospital in state capital Agartala, where she was declared brought dead. Doctors have kept the body in the morgue for a post-mortem examination.

The accused, identified as Rathindra Debbarma of the 10th Battalion TSR, currently posted at the ADC Khumulwng headquarters, was taken into custody on Sunday. A court has remanded him to three days of police custody.

The child's mother, Mitali Debbarma, has alleged that her husband fed poison to their infant daughter, Suhani Debbarma, under the pretext of buying biscuits. She further claimed that her husband always wanted a son and resented her for giving birth to two daughters, subjecting her to relentless abuse.

“We were visiting my sister's house in Behalabari. My husband took our daughter and my sister's son to a nearby shop to buy biscuits. Soon after, my sister noticed my daughter vomiting and suffering from dysentery. There was a strong smell of medicine from her mouth. I confronted him, asking what he had fed her to make her so sick. He denied giving her any poison. Now my daughter is dead in GB Hospital,” Mitali told reporters.

She added, “Out of panic, I tore my own hair, and he slapped me. I have two daughters. Suhani was the younger one.”

The mother has demanded the death penalty for her husband.

Police have arrested Rathindra Debbarma for questioning, and an investigation is underway into the case, police sources added.