Annoyed at in-laws not agreeing to his marriage to sister-in-law, widower kills 4 daughters, tries to end life

Jaipur: In a shocking case reported from Rajasthan's Barmer district, a widower allegedly poisoned his four minor daughters and dumped them in a water tank before taking the poison himself. While the minor girls succumbed, the man was rushed to a hospital, where he is being administered treatment.

The man in question has been identified as Pukharam, a resident of Poshal village in Barmer's Sheo area. Three months ago, his wife passed away after contracting COVID-19 infection. After her death, Pukharam's four daughters -- Vasundhara (1.5), Lakshmi (3), Noji (5) and Jeeyo (8) -- were being taken care of at the house of his in-laws.

As per case details, Pukharam slipped into depression after the demise of his wife. Also, he was worried about bringing up his daughters. A police officer said he wanted to tie



the nuptial knot with his sister-in-law for raising his children. His in-laws, however, turned down his marriage proposal, according to a report by The media.

On Friday, Pukharam brought his daughters from his in-laws' place to his village. Late at night, he gave them poison. After they lost consciousness, he dumped them in a water tank. Later, he consumed insecticide to kill himself. He took the step because he was angry over his in-laws' refusal to get him married to his sister-in-law, according to the police.

The media report stated Pukharam is being administered medical care at the district hospital in Barmer. His statement has been recorded by the police. He has confessed to having committed the crime. After post-mortem examination, the bodies of the deceased girls were given to the family members.