Ara: A 35-year-old man, reportedly suffering from mental health issues, has been absconding after allegedly killing his six-month-old daughter at Itahna village under Krishnagarh police station in Bhojpur district on Wednesday evening. Police have launched a search operation to nab him. The deceased infant was identified as Aaradhya, daughter of Dipankar Kumar and Suniti Devi, residents of the Dhobahan police station area in the district.“Family members of the victim have not lodged any complaint so far. However, taking cognizance of the incident, which was reported by locals, we are investigating the matter,” said Vijay Paswan, additional SHO of Krishnagarh police station, on Thursday. He added that the child’s mother is devastated by the loss of her only daughter and is not in a condition to file a complaint yet.Suniti said that she had taken her husband to a sorcerer near a local temple for treatment at Itahna village. “My daughter had soiled her diaper, so I handed her over to my husband and went to wash her clothes near a hand pump. While I was washing, my baby started crying. Irritated by this, my husband held her by both legs and banged her on the floor, causing severe head injuries. She succumbed on the way to Sadar hospital in Ara,” Suniti claimed.She further alleged that her husband had been suffering from mental health issues for the past one month and had earlier tried to strangle their daughter too in fits of rage.“He was not like this earlier. We believed he was possessed by evil spirits, which is why I brought him to a sorcerer for treatment. But before anything could be done, this tragedy occurred,” she said.

