'Papa hit Mumma with stick, strangled and hanged her', 4-year-old's drawing leads UP police to arrest man

A 27-year-old woman, Sonali Budholia, was found dead under suspicious circumstances at her home in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday. Her family has accused her husband, Sandeep Budholia, and his family of involvement in her death, alleging it to be a case of murder linked to dowry demands. The incident took place in the Shiv Parivar Colony area, and police have launched an investigation to determine the cause of death.

Sonali had been married to Sandeep in 2019, and her father, Sanjeev Tripathi, claimed that the marriage had been troubled from the beginning. He said his family provided a dowry of Rs 20 lakh in cash and other gifts, but soon after the marriage, Sandeep and his family began demanding a car. When they were unable to meet these demands, Sonali was allegedly subjected to physical and mental abuse. Despite filing a police complaint, the issue was resolved through a compromise.

The couple later had a daughter, Darshita, and tensions continued to rise. Sanjeev Tripathi stated that Sonali's in-laws were unhappy with the birth of a daughter instead of a son. He also mentioned an incident where his daughter was left alone in the hospital after giving birth, and he had to pay the hospital bills and bring her home.

The circumstances surrounding Sonali's death have raised suspicions. Initially, Sandeep’s family claimed that she had died by suicide, but a statement from her daughter, Darshita, and a drawing she created provided a different narrative. The four-year-old girl described seeing her father assaulting her mother, hitting her on the head with a stone, and then hanging her body to make it appear as a suicide. Darshita also stated that her father had previously threatened to harm her mother.

Following Darshita’s statement, the police arrested Sandeep Budholia and began their investigation. The police have confirmed that they have sent the body for autopsy, and the report is awaited to determine the exact cause of death. A senior police officer stated that a case had been registered, and the investigation was ongoing.

Sanjeev Tripathi, Sonali's father, said that the couple had been facing ongoing issues related to dowry demands and abuse since their marriage. He recounted how Sonali had been physically mistreated by her husband and his family. The police have not yet made any further statements regarding the other individuals involved in the case, but a search for additional suspects is underway.