Nagpur: Rana Pratap Nagar Police in Nagpur on Monday made the 11-year-old cousin and the minor sister, aged around 17 years, co-accused in the murder case of five-year-old Annashi Chimne, who was thrashed to death at her residence in Subhash Nagar on August 6. Annashi was thrashed to death by her parents and kin to “drive away the evil spirit” that they thought had possessed her, according to a report in local media.
The cousins were produced before the juvenile justice board and sent to the children’s remand home.
The self-proclaimed Godman Namdeo Bamborde alias Shankar Baba, 51, who was arrested a day ago, was also produced before the court. The court has also remanded him to custody till August 12. The three others arrested in the case so far — Annashi’s father Siddharth, mother Ranjana and maternal aunt Priya Bansod — too are in police custody till August 12.
According to the report, the murder of five-year-old girl by her family members to “relieve her of an evil spirit” took a fresh twist on Sunday as cops considered making the victim’s 11-year-old cousin an accused in the case. He is learnt to have egged on the family and reportedly joined them in thrashing the girl — Annashi Chimne — who eventually collapsed and died. Annashi, whose 17-year-old sister was also under the scanner, was an actor, model and skater. The family had decided to “drive the evil spirit out of her body” after she was heard chanting Sanskrit shlokas and prayers.
The report further said the girl had around 18-20 contusions and more than a dozen fine punctures around the naval cavity, which were probably made with needles. She was also made to starve for two days before the family started an exorcist ‘ritual’ on Saturday, intermittently hitting her and poking her with scissors while chanting the name of ‘Shankar Baba’. A video made by the family members during the episode exposed their brutality. Annashi had a severe head injury too.
The video, which cops have recovered from Siddharth’s mobile phone, has helped police unravel various aspects of the case, including the role of Shankar Baba, the 11-year-old cousin, and the girl’s elder sister, who all took turns to egg each other on while thrashing the girl to death.
It’s learnt that Siddharth had rushed his daughter to the Government Medical College and Hospital where she was declared dead. Leaving the body there, the girl’s parents had fled the hospital.
A constable from Nandanvan Police Station, intrigued by the parents fleeing, informed Rana Pratap Nagar Police Station Senior Inspector Deepak Vhitade, with whom he had earlier worked. Vhitade later nabbed Siddharth, his wife and his sister-in-law.
