"Papa Killed Mummy, Hanged Body": Child's Drawing Raises Suspicion Over Suicide Claim in Jhansi

A 4-year-old girl’s drawing and statement raise doubts over the claim of suicide in the death of Sonali Budholia in Jhansi. Authorities probe the possibility of murder after years of alleged harassment by her husband.

A chilling illustration drawn by a four-year-old girl in Jhansi has raised serious doubts about the circumstances surrounding her mother’s death. The incident, which unfolded on Monday, involves Sonali Budholia, whose death was initially claimed to be a suicide by her in-laws. However, a drawing and statements made by her daughter, Darshita, suggest that the woman may have been murdered by her husband, Sandeep Budholia, after years of alleged domestic abuse.

The tragedy occurred in Panchavati Shiv Parivar Colony under the Kotwali area of Jhansi. After Sonali’s in-laws informed her family of her death, they stated that she had died by suicide. However, Darshita’s poignant drawing and her account of the events tell a different story. According to the child, her father assaulted her mother, stating, “Die if you want to,” before hanging her body to make it appear as if she had taken her own life. Darshita further claimed that her father had hit her mother’s head with a stone and later disposed of the body in a sack.

Darshita also revealed that her father had threatened her mother before, saying he would kill her. “I had told him once that if you touch my mother, I will break your hand. He used to beat her, saying she should die and that I should meet the same fate as her,” she said.

Troubled Marriage and Allegations of Abuse

Sonali’s father, Sanjeev Tripathi, from Tikamgarh in Madhya Pradesh, spoke about the troubled marriage between his daughter and Sandeep, which had been marred by ongoing abuse. Sanjeev explained that after their 2019 marriage, Sandeep and his family began making unreasonable demands, including a car, despite receiving a dowry of Rs 20 lakh. When Sanjeev refused to fulfill these demands, the harassment intensified. On one occasion, he even had to intervene with the police to resolve the situation, but things worsened after Sonali gave birth to a daughter.

Sanjeev recounted a particularly disturbing incident where Sandeep and his family abandoned Sonali in the hospital after she gave birth to a girl, a child Sandeep reportedly did not want. This set the stage for further conflict within their household.

Just days before Sonali’s death, she had attended a wedding in Jhansi’s Samthar area. Sandeep allegedly called her to return home, and it was soon after that the family received the tragic news of her supposed suicide. “This morning, I got a call, saying my daughter’s health had deteriorated. Then I was told she had hung herself. When I arrived, I learned she was dead,” Sanjeev said.

Police Investigation

Kotwali City Police officer Ramveer Singh confirmed that the woman’s body has been sent for autopsy, with the report still awaited. He stated, “We received a call about the woman’s death under mysterious circumstances. Her parents have alleged that she was murdered, and we are investigating the case.”

The police are now looking into the possibility that Sonali’s death was not a suicide, as initially claimed, but rather a tragic outcome of years of abuse and harassment at the hands of her husband. As the investigation continues, the drawing and statement from the young child remain key pieces of evidence in uncovering the truth.