18-month-old girl thrown in canal by father, saved by 'kanwariya'

A man was arrested for allegedly throwing in a canal his 18-month-old daughter who was rescued by a 'kanwariya', police said on Monday.

Balkar Singh, a resident of Pehowa, allegedly threw his daughter in the canal near Jyotisar on July 12, they said, adding his brother Kuldeep Singh has also been arrested along with him.

The kanwariya noticed Singh dropping the toddler in the Saraswati feeder of Narwana Branch canal and fleeing on a motorcycle.

He jumped into the canal and saved the child, police said, adding the pilgrim handed her over to the in-charge of a 'kanwariya centre' at Raogarh village after which she was given to the Police at Jyotisar.

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Police said she is currently in a hospital receiving treatment.

Jyotisar Chowky in-charge Mahinder Singh on Monday said Balkar Singh has two daughters from his second wife and he wanted to throw away both of them.

After allegedly throwing his younger daughter in the canal he made a phone call to his wife, who had gone to Ludhiana, to inform her what he had done. He allegedly asked her to tell people they gave away their daughter for adoption.

He also allegedly threatened to kill her if she told the truth to anyone.

The accused wanted to throw both the daughters but as the elder one started crying and he ran away, police said.

When his wife came back, she informed her father-in-law and other relatives about it who approached the police, resulting in the arrest of the two accused.

Both the accused were produced before the court which sent them to 14 days judicial remand.