Gujarat Man Kills Wife, Mentally-Ill Daughter By Pushing Them Into River

A man allegedly killed his wife and 11-year-old daughter by pushing them into a river before trying to end his own life by jumping into it, but was rescued by the local residents in Valsad district of Gujarat, police said Thursday.

The accused, Vijay Pandey (45), was rescued after he was found on a pillar under a bridge over Varoli river near Humran village of the district Wednesday afternoon, an official of Umargam police station said.

During his interrogation, he revealed that he pushed his wife, who suffered from epilepsy, and mentally-ill daughter, to death, he said.

The bodies of his wife Gayatridevi (40) and daughter Gauri were recovered from the river by local swimmers, and the police questioned the man to ascertain whether it was a case of accidental death, suicide or murder, the official said.

The accused, a resident of Umargam town, told the police initially that he, his wife and daughter went to offer prayers at a Shiva temple on Wednesday afternoon and later went to view the river from a bridge, where he pushed them to death. After that, he tried to end life but survived by clinging onto a pillar, from where he was rescued, he added.

"On Thursday, the police registered a case of accidental death and arrested Pandey after he revealed that he pushed them into the river as he was fed up taking care of his wife who suffered from epilepsy, and his daughter who was mentally ill," an official said.

A case of murder was registered and the man was taken into custody, the official said. 

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