April 8, 2024: An 18-month-old girl was allegedly poisoned by her father in Andhra Pradesh for being dark-skinned. The incident happened at Petasannegandla village On March 31.

Police have arrested the father identified as Mahesh. The accused fed poisoned prasadam to his daughter, according to police officials.

As per sources, the baby was found unconscious and seemed having a nosebleed. She was then immediately rushed to the Karempudi Government Hospital, where the doctors declared her brought dead.

The deceased’s mother alleged that she was being tortured by her in-laws and Mahesh over the dark complexion of the girl. She was also forced by her husband to lie about the cause of their daughter's death. She also revealed that the accused Mahesh had tried to kill their daughter earlier by throwing her against a wall, locking her in a room, and drowning her in a tub.

Though the body was buried quickly to avoid investigation, the in-laws of the accused had grown suspicious and asked the local panchayat to intervene in the matter and investigate.

However, the Andhra Pradesh Child Rights Protection Commission has launched a probe into the matter.