‘Papa killed mummy’: Daughter’s drawing suggests murder, not suicide

‘Papa killed mummy’: Daughter’s drawing suggests murder, not suicide

The incident that was initially reported as a suicide has now taken a surprising twist following a drawing created by the four-year-old daughter of the deceased, which has cast doubt on the presumed suicide of her mother. Sonali Budholia, aged 27, was found dead in her residence at Panchavati Shiv Parivar Colony in the Kotwali area of Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday.

At first, her in-laws asserted that Sonali had taken her own life. However, the artwork of her daughter, Darshita, along with her subsequent statements, challenged this assertion, indicating that her father, Sandeep Budholia, may have been involved in her demise. The child's drawing raises the possibility of foul play and suggests that her husband, after years of alleged abuse, attacked and killed the woman.

In the drawing, Darshita illustrated an assault on her mother. The child also told the media that her mother was “assaulted and killed" by her father, NDTV reported.

“Papa assaulted and killed Mummy and said, ‘Die if you want to.’ He hanged her body and hit her head with a stone. Later, he brought down the body and dumped it inside a sack," she said.

The daughter further claimed that her father used to threaten her to take her mother’s life, stating, “I once warned him that if you harm my mother, I will break your hand. He would hit her, saying she should die and that I should suffer the same fate as her.”

The distressing details surrounding Sonali’s marriage were also disclosed by her father, Sanjeev Tripathi, who resides in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh. He shared that after Sonali married Sandeep in 2019, their relationship quickly became strained due to ongoing demands for dowry. Sanjeev additionally mentioned that the situation worsened after Sonali gave birth to a daughter, contrary to the son her husband had desired.

“Following the delivery, he and his family abandoned my daughter in the hospital. I had to visit the nursing home to settle the bill. I brought her home. Sandeep returned a month later to pick up Sonali and Darshita,” he explained.

Sanjeev further revealed that Sonali was asked by Sandeep to return home from a cousin’s wedding just days before her death.

Speaking about learning of her daughter’s alleged suicide. Sanjeev said, “This morning, I got a call, saying my daughter’s health has deteriorated. After some time, I received another call saying she hung herself," Sanjeev said. When he arrived at the house, he was told that his daughter had died.

The Kotwali City Police have started the investigation into the matter. The deceased has been taken for an autopsy, and authorities are anticipating the findings to establish the precise cause of death.