{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Madhya Pradesh grandmother arrested for strangling 20-day-old granddaughter, hated having daughters in family",
  "summary": "Police in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh have arrested Rekha Adivasi, the grandmother of 20-day-old Manisha, for strangling the infant to death; the investigation is ongoing.",
  "content": "A 20-day-old baby girl's death in Madhya Pradesh's Tikamgarh district has left an entire neighbourhood in shock after it emerged that the killer was not a stranger but the infant's own grandmother. The incident has been described as one that shames humanity, coming as it did at the hands of someone meant to protect the child rather than harm her. Police in the Palera police station area arrested 45-year-old Rekha Adivasi, the child's grandmother, for strangling her 20-day-old granddaughter Manisha to death in Bannebuzurg village. Police registered a murder case against the accused woman, produced her in court and sent her to jail. The investigation is still ongoing.\n\nWhat happened at 3 AM that night\nAccording to the information available, Manisha was sleeping beside her mother, Pukkhan Adivasi. Around 3 AM, grandmother Rekha arrived and picked the baby up. A short while later, she placed Manisha back next to Pukkhan and walked away. When the baby showed no movement afterwards, Pukkhan grew suspicious and tried shaking her, but got no response. She broke down crying, and soon the entire family was in shock. Police were informed about the incident immediately.\n\nA cover story about a faith healer, then the truth came out\nInitially, the family tried to mislead police instead of revealing what had actually happened. They claimed the baby had died after being taken to a faith healer for a ritual to ward off evil. Jhad-phoonk refers to a traditional faith-healing ritual practised in rural areas to ward off evil spirits, and the family leaned on this excuse in an attempt to link the baby's death to it. However, this cover story did not hold up for long under police questioning, and the truth surfaced within a short time. Grandmother Rekha eventually confessed to the crime herself.\n\nMistreated since the day she gave birth to a daughter\nManisha's mother, Pukkhan Adivasi, said in tears that her mother-in-law Rekha never liked daughters. Rekha allegedly began mistreating her right after Manisha's birth. Pukkhan said her husband, Dhaniram, works as a labourer in Delhi, and in his absence, her mother-in-law would not even give her proper food. According to Pukkhan, Rekha believed that having a daughter in the family would force them to bow before others and that they would eventually have to spend heavily on her wedding. In many parts of rural India, a preference for sons over daughters remains rooted in fears about wedding expenses and social standing, an attitude reflected in the reasoning Pukkhan says her mother-in-law gave for resenting Manisha. This mindset, Pukkhan said, is what made Rekha resent the newborn.\n\nPostmortem confirms death by strangulation\nTikamgarh ASP Vikram Singh said police received information that the baby had been found dead, following which officers reached the spot, took custody of the body and sent it for a postmortem. The postmortem report confirmed that the baby's death was caused by strangulation. Based on the report, police registered a murder case and launched an investigation. It was this postmortem finding that turned a suspicious infant death into a formal murder case, and further questioning led investigators to conclude that the child had not been killed by an outsider but by her own grandmother, Rekha. Police then arrested the accused woman and sent her to jail. ASP Vikram Singh said further investigation into the case is continuing.\n\nWhat this means for you\n• Across India: The case highlights the risk of violence against newborn daughters within families, underlining why suspicious mistreatment of an infant should be reported to police or a child helpline without delay.\n• In Tikamgarh: With the investigation still ongoing in Bannebuzurg village under the Palera police station, local authorities may question other family members in the coming days.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Where did this incident happen?\nThe incident took place in Bannebuzurg village under the Palera police station area of Madhya Pradesh's Tikamgarh district.\n\n2. How did the baby die?\nThe postmortem report confirmed that 20-day-old Manisha died due to strangulation.\n\n3. Who is the accused?\nThe baby's own grandmother, 45-year-old Rekha Adivasi, has been arrested on charges of murder.\n\n4. What was the reason behind the killing?\nAccording to the baby's mother, Pukkhan Adivasi, her mother-in-law Rekha disliked daughters and resented the family having to bow before others and spend on a wedding.\n\n5. What action has police taken so far?\nPolice arrested the accused grandmother, produced her in court and sent her to jail; the investigation is still ongoing.\n\n6. How did the truth come out?\nThe family initially tried to mislead police with a story about a faith-healing ritual, but the truth surfaced quickly and grandmother Rekha confessed to the crime herself.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/madhya-pradesh/tikamgarh-men-masuma-poti-ki-jana-lene-vali-nikali-usaki-apani-dadi-betiyon-se-napharata-bani-vajaha-9324",
  "category": "Madhya Pradesh",
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-21",
  "tags": [
    "Tikamgarh murder",
    "Grandmother kills granddaughter",
    "Madhya Pradesh crime",
    "Discrimination against daughters",
    "Palera police station",
    "Newborn girl murder"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}