Child’s body found in water tank; sister-in-law held

A woman was arrested after police recovered the body of a five-year-old girl from a water tank at a house in the capital’s Kuril Mirdhabari area under Bhatara Police Station yesterday afternoon.

The child was identified as Arifa, 5, who lived with her parents in a rented house in the area.

The arrestee was her sister-in-law, Khadija Akter.

Umaul Haque, officer-in-charge of Bhatara Police Station, said Khadija confessed during interrogation that she strangled Arifa and later dumped the body in the water tank.

Quoting family members, he said the child’s father, Md Rajib, is a day labourer. Her elder brother, Hasan, and his wife Khadija lived in a separate room in the same house.

The OC said, “Arifa would often ask her brother to buy her different food items, which he usually did. On Tuesday, Hasan brought toys for his sister, which led to a quarrel with his wife Khadija. At one point, Hasan reportedly physically assaulted Khadija.

“Angered by the incident, Khadija strangled Arifa to death in her room yesterday and then threw the child’s body into the house’s water tank.”

When the child could not be found despite searching, family members later checked the water tank and discovered her body there. They then called 999 and informed police.

The OC said legal proceedings were underway in this regard.