A brutal murder in Vadodara district has sent shockwaves through the region, with police alleging that a minor girl orchestrated the killing of her own father with the help of her lover and his friend after repeated failed attempts to poison her parents.
The crime came to light after investigators unravelled a chilling sequence of events involving drugging, past legal cases and a carefully planned killing that unfolded inside the family home in Padra taluka.
Sleeping pills used to facilitate killing
According to police, the victim was stabbed to death in his house after being drugged with sleeping pills mixed into his food. Once he lost consciousness, the girl’s lover, identified as Ranjit, and his associate Mahesh allegedly entered the house around 2.30 am and stabbed the man three times before fleeing.
Investigators claim the minor girl remained inside the house and watched the killing from a window to ensure her father was dead before the attackers escaped.
Earlier poisoning attempts revealed
Vadodara district Superintendent of Police Sushil Agarwal said the murder was the culmination of multiple failed attempts to poison family members.
“This was not an impulsive act,” Agarwal said. “Two days before the murder, the girl mixed sleeping pills into her parents’ food, but it did not work. Earlier, she had also tried to drug her mother by adding pills to a glass of water, but the bitter taste alerted her.”
Police believe these failed attempts strengthened the resolve of the accused to carry out the final plan.
Love affair and past POCSO case
Investigators said the girl’s father strongly opposed her relationship and had allegedly confined his wife and daughter inside a room, locking them from outside. Police believe resentment over this opposition played a key role in the crime.
Adding another layer, Agarwal said the accused lover had earlier abducted the minor girl, leading the father to file a complaint under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). Ranjit was arrested in that case and later released on bail.
“After coming out on bail, he re-established contact with the minor. Together, they planned to kill the father and flee,” the SP said.
Arrests made, probe continues
Police have arrested the minor girl, her lover Ranjit and his associate Mahesh. Investigators are now tracing the source of the sleeping pills and the knife used in the murder, and are examining whether any other person had prior knowledge of the conspiracy.
What police describe as a forbidden love affair has ended in a deeply disturbing family murder, leaving Vadodara grappling with the extent of planning, obsession and violence involved.