A Joke Gone Wrong: Man Slaps 3-Year-Old Niece, Police Uncover a Dark Twist

Mumbai (The Uttam Hindu): A three-year-old girl tragically died in Maharashtra's Thane district after her uncle "playfully" slapped her. The 38-year-old man was arrested after attempting to burn her body in an effort to destroy evidence. The incident occurred in Ulhasnagar, Thane, when the girl's mother filed a missing person report on Monday. Her partially burned body was found on Thursday in bushes near the Ulhasnagar Hill Line police station. The uncle, who is the girl's maternal uncle (brother of vicitim's mother), was arrested shortly after the discovery.

Reports suggest that on Monday, the man was playing with his niece at home when he "playfully" slapped her. The impact of the slap was so severe that the girl fell, hit her head, and died instantly. In a panic, the man concealed her body and later went with his sister to the police station to report the girl as missing. The family also posted pictures of the child on social media, asking for help in locating her. On Wednesday, while many people were out voting in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the accused, along with his wife and a rickshaw-puller friend, took the girl's body to some nearby bushes and attempted to burn it.

On Thursday, the police launched a search for the missing child. The three suspects, including the rickshaw puller, joined the search effort. However, the body was found by the rickshaw puller, and the police took both men into custody on suspicion. During questioning, the men admitted to attempting to burn the body, but claimed their intention was never to kill the girl.

The accused uncle confessed that he panicked after the incident and tried to dispose of the body to cover up his actions. Ulhasnagar Deputy Commissioner of Police, Sachin Gore, stated, "We arrested the accused based on technical analysis and his confession. We will present him in court and seek police custody as the investigation continues."