Narmada man held for killing daughter over ‘interfaith relationship’

The FIR states that on the intervening night of February 21, when Gohil woke up to answer nature’s call, he allegedly noticed that his daughter was not at home. When she returned home in the early hours, Gohil allegedly questioned her about her absence from the house at night to which she “did not reveal the true facts,” the FIR states. The complaint, registered by a police officer, adds that a verbal argument allegedly ensued between the man and daughter, wherein Gohil questioned the daughter’s “intention” knowing that “a prospective groom was to visit in the morning” to see her. The FIR states that the woman then replied to Gohil, allegedly stating that, “You can marry me off wherever you like but I will not stay there. I will marry only Salim.”

As per the FIR, Gohil then strangulated her in a fit of rage. The FIR states that Gohil’s wife tried to intervene but to no avail. Later, the FIR claims that he informed his relatives that Tejaswita had “died due to an episode of seizure” and the body was cremated on the banks of the Triveni Sangam in Narmada River, Karnali village.

The FIR filed on Thursday at the Tilakwada police station is the third, following two cross-FIRs lodged on February 22 — one by Gohil and another by Hanif Hussain Malek, the father of Salim, for criminal intimidation, voluntarily causing hurt and other sections. The FIR registered by Malek against Gohil also invokes the section of house trespass.

In the FIR of February 21, Gohil claimed that his daughter had passed away due to an episode of seizure but on learning the fact that “she was in a relationship with Malek’s son, Salim, had caused deep hurt to (Gohil)” and therefore Gohil, along with his siblings, nephews and other members of the community to inquire about Salim. “However, the family of Malek did not state the facts and engaged in verbal abuses and physical assault of Gohil, also threatening to kill him.”

The FIR lodged by Malek, on the other hand, accused Gohil of trespass, criminal intimidation and physical assault of his wife, Noorjahanbibi, as well as Malek. The FIR stated that the accused – Gohil and the co-accused had allegedly “dragged him out of his house, pinned him to the ground and threatened to set him on fire” after allegedly assaulting him with sticks due to “vengeance over Gohil’s daughter having an affair with (Malek’s son) Salim.”

On Friday, Gohil was arrested under Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita Sections for murder and destruction of evidence.