One Kailas Bande, a resident of Virar, who was apprehended, also allegedly disposed off the infant's body to hide the crime, Palghar District Police PRO Suresh Nirmal said.
Bande was annoyed with the fact that his wife delivered a female child as he wanted a son. On May 15 afternoon, he killed his daughter, a police official said.
He threatened his wife not to tell anyone and later claimed that the death of his daughter was accidental. He also performed the last rites of his daughter, police said.
Following a complaint, a case under relevant sections of IPC was registered and Bande was nabbed, the officer said.