Man in India allegedly kills his family after pregnant wife refuses abortion

A man in India has been arrested after reportedly admitting that he killed his pregnant wife because she refused to abort their preborn child.

The man also allegedly killed his own young daughters, seemingly wanting to eliminate his family so he could marry a minor with the hopes that the girl would give him a son. Despite being illegal, sex-selective abortion is prevalent in India, where there is a strong cultural preference for sons over daughters.

Key Takeaways:

• An Indian man has reportedly confessed to killing his wife and two daughters because his wife was pregnant with another girl.

• The man had forced his wife to abort two previous female babies, but she refused to abort this child.

• Though illegal, sex-selective abortion is prevalent in India, which has led to the abortions of millions of little girls.

The Details:

According to the Times of India, a 26-year-old woman, identified as Farhana, and her two young daughters, aged five and nine, were found deceased, floating in a swimming pool on April 1. The woman was pregnant at the time of her death.

On Friday, police arrested the woman's husband, Mohammad Azharuddin, for the murders. Ten other people were also arrested for involvement in the killings, including Azharuddin's parents and brother, a nurse, a doctor, and a medical shop owner.

Investigators say Azharuddin was upset that Farhana was pregnant, and that he believed she was having a girl. In both 2021 and 2022, Azharuddin and his family had forced Farhana to obtain abortions against her will, because it was believed that the preborn children she was carrying at those times were also girls. This time, when her husband tried to force her to abort once again, she adamantly refused.

In retaliation, Azharuddin lured his wife and young daughters to a local swimming pool with promises of a fun evening out. He then turned off CCTV cameras in the pool's area and forced them in the water, holding their heads under as they drowned. Though he initially said the incident was an accident, he reportedly later confessed to the crime.

The New Indian Express reports that Azharuddin was further motivated to kill his wife and daughters because he had fallen in love with an underage relative who had spurned his advances because he was married.

Police say that Azharuddin believed that without his wife and daughters in the picture, he would be able to marry this young relative, believing that she would give birth to the son he wanted.

The others arrested in connection with the case face various aiding and abetting charges, including participating in illegal sex-selective abortions.

Zoom Out:

Sex-selective preference for boys over girls has long been prevalent in India. Despite the fact that sex-selective abortion has been outlawed since 1994, the practice still takes place throughout the country, resulting in the gendercide of countless females.

A report published in 2021 calculated that 13.5 million girls had been killed in sex-selective abortions in India from 1987-2016, with researchers noting that the true number of "missing" girls had likely been underestimated.

The Bottom Line:

This horrific case underscores the need for protection for women and girls throughout the world. It is unconscionable that a mother and her young daughters should die because the mother refuses to end the life growing inside her. All children deserve life, regardless of gender.