The in-laws of a 20-year-old pregnant woman here allegedly murdered her unborn child by stomping on her stomach on the instigation of a 'godman' who had claimed that the child was a girl and would be unlucky for the family, police said.
The 'god man' Shyambaba Shinde was apprehended from Niphad town in the district today, police said. The victim Suvarna Gaikwad's husband Khanderao, brother-in-law Vijay, mother-in-law Bibabai and another family member were arrested yesterday.
According to police, Shinde had allegedly asked the in-laws of Suvarna to get rid of the foetus, claiming it was a girl and would bring doom upon the family if allowed to born.
Suvarna was told to abort the foetus but when she refused, she was allegedly roughed up by her husband, mother-in-law and two others who stomped on her stomach, causing death of the unborn child.
The incident took place at Mhasrul locality in the city on April 4.
All the accused were today produced in a local court which remanded them in police custody till April 18, police said.
Suvarna was being mentally and physically tortured for dowry since her marriage to Khanderao in June last year, they said.
Her in-laws were harassing her to bring a dowry of Rs 1.5 lakh for building a house, police said, adding when the accused came to know that she was pregnant, they took her to the 'godman' who told them that she was carrying a girl.
The matter was brought to light by Mahendra Datrange, President of Nashik unit of Blindfaith Eradicating organisation.
All the accused were booked under relevant sections of IPC after the victim's parents lodged an FIR against them.
