Bombay High Court Denies Bail in Female Infanticide Case
The Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court has turned down the bail application of Gopinath Janku Pradhan, who is accused of being complicit in the murder of his one-month-old granddaughter. The case, officially titled Gopinath Janku Pradhan v. State of Maharashtra, brings to light the troubling issue of gender bias in India.
According to the prosecution, Pradhan, along with family members, orchestrated the infant’s death due to her being the second female child in the family. This incident allegedly arose in the Gadchiroli district, where the infant was drowned, reportedly with a brick placed on her back to ensure she could not move. Following this heinous act, the family allegedly staged a scene to divert suspicion, claiming an animal had taken the child away during the night and attempted to hastily cremate the body.
An alert Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) worker suspected foul play and warned the family that the death should be reported to the police. When the family failed to do so, she took matters into her own hands and informed law enforcement, leading to the exhumation of the child’s body. A subsequent post-mortem report confirmed drowning as the cause of death.
In his ruling, Justice MM Nerlikar expressed profound concern over the entrenched preference for male children in India, remarking, “It is deeply unfortunate that, even after 80 years of independence, people in our country still prefer a male child. This is a classic example of the murder of a girl child, because she was the second daughter and the family does not want a second daughter.”
The defense argued that there was no direct evidence linking Pradhan to the murder, seeking bail based on the precedent that the child’s mother had been granted bail earlier. However, Justice Nerlikar dismissed the plea, citing the crime’s occurrence within Pradhan’s residence as indicative of familial involvement. “Considering the conduct and the mode and manner of the crime, I am not inclined to enlarge the applicant on bail,” Justice Nerlikar stated, affirming the court’s stance on the gravity of the crime.
Advocate UE Quazi represented Gopinath Janku Pradhan, while Additional Public Prosecutor UR Phasate appeared for the state, reinforcing the prosecution’s position against granting bail.
