Five-year-old’s killer had grudge against dad

Mumbai: Rekha Sutar, who was arrested last week by the Byculla police for allegedly killing her neighbour’s daughter, five-year-old Manvi Ingle, told the police she had thrown off the child from the 15th-floor balcony of their building in a “fit of rage”. According to Sutar, barely 10 minutes before she threw Ingle off in December 2016, the latter’s father had insisted she should sign up and take delivery of her divorce papers that came by registered post. Angry about Ingle’s father having made her take the divorce papers, which she had earlier refused to take from the bailiff, Sutar allegedly threw off the child who was playing near the balcony.

The police arrested Sutar on the basis of “scientific evidence” — strands of fabric from her cloth that was found on Ingle’s body. The police is set to conduct brain-mapping and narco–analysis tests on Sutar.

Speaking to The Asian Age, police inspector Nandkumar Gopale, the investigating officer of the case, said, “The arrested accused has confessed to the crime of pushing the five-year-old Manvi to death from the 15th floor of the Vignaharta society. On the day of the incident, the arrested accused had received a divorce notice from her husband Umesh Sutar, as there was tension brewing between the couple after their son passed away six months ago.”

Mr Gopale added, “The said divorce notice was delivered to Sutar by a bailiff and she refused accept it. The bailiff then approached Sutar’s neighbour Ashok Ingle and asked him to request her to accept the notice. Obliging to the request, Ingle asked Sutar to accept the notice. Nursing a grudge over this matter, Sutar saw Manvi playing in the corridor 10 minutes later and threw her off the balcony.”

Mr Ingle had also mentioned in the First Information Report (FIR) that he saw Sutar coming from the balcony while he was searching for Manvi on the day of the incident. When he asked Sutar about seeing Manvi, she denied she had.

The police will produce Sutar in court on Tuesday and will apply to extend her custody.