The police in India have arrested a father of five girls, identified as Pannalal, after he allegedly sliced open the stomach of his pregnant wife to find out if she was expecting a boy.
The 43-year-old reportedly attacked his wife Anita Devi, 35, with a sickle on Saturday night, September 19, 2020, at their home in Budaun in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, after being told by a priest that she was expecting another girl.
According to Times of India, the victim’s family said the suspect already had five daughters and was desperate for a son.
Confirming the attack, Civil Lines Police Station SHO, Sudhakar Pandey said the couple got into an argument after a priest prophesied that their next child would be a girl.
Pravin Singh Chauhan, a senior police official, said the woman, who was around seven months pregnant, was rushed to the hospital, where she later gave birth to a still born baby boy.
Pannalal claimed he did not hurt his wife intentionally. He reportedly admitted he threw the sickle at her but said he had not intended to injure her so seriously.
