The 14-year-old daughter of a Surat-based businessman was tortured to death, allegedly by her father and uncle, who suspected that she was possessed with evil spirits in Dhava village of Gir-Somnath district.
The girl, Dhairya Akbari, was initially ordered to sit on a sugarcane farm with her hair tied with a stick that was linked to a stone so she could not move, whipped with a stick and wire despite having blisters all over her body, and forced to stand close to a fire for two hours. She was also refused food and drink. From October 1 until her death, she was subjected to three days of torture.
The girl’s father Bhavesh and uncle Dilip clandestinely cremated her decomposed body on October 8, police said. They wrapped the body in a plastic bag and a blanket and transported it in a car boot. Talala police began investigation after being informed about a suspicious death and cremation. They arrested the two following a complaint lodged by the girl’s maternal grandfather.
Bhavesh informed only five members known to the family about the cremation and told them that she had died of an infectious disease. They now turned witnesses.
Manoharsinh Jadeja, superintendent of police, Gir Somnath, said, “Initially, it was difficult for us to believe that a father could resort to such savagery. But we found an audio clip in which Bhavesh is heard torturing his wife who is wailing. We also found that Bhavesh and his brother are extremely superstitious and believe in witchcraft.”
While the girl's uncle Dilip revealed the gory details of the murder, her father is frequently changing his statements during questioning. Police said they are taking help of a psychologist to speak with him to extract more details.
