Dahod murder case: Accused principal sent to 4-day police custody

Meanwhile, the Limkheda Bar Association refused to represent the accused following which he argued his own case. After hearing the prosecution’s submission on the remand application filed by the police and the accused, the court remanded the principal to four days in police custody until September 27.

Dahod district Superintendent of Police Rajdeepsinh Zala said: “We told the court that the accused has been frequently changing his story and therefore, a detailed questioning is a must to firm up the case. We have to ascertain the sequence of events of the day as well as send his phone data for forensic analysis in order to ascertain what transpired during the day… We also need to take him to the spots where the crime occurred as he had smothered her on the way to school.”

Zala said that the accused, who was present on the school premises pretending to “help the police” after the body was recovered by the family of the victim on Thursday, first told the police that he had dropped her off at school. “Later, he told us that he had seen her during the prayer assembly of the school. But when we checked with the teachers who conduct the prayer assembly, they confirmed that they had not seen the child… Moreover, we went by the last-seen-with theory as the mother of the child had sent her with the principal in the morning and thereafter, she had not been seen by anyone.”

On Monday, Dahod District Education Department also suspended the principal from service. District Primary Education Officer AA Baria told The Indian Express, “Based on the police report, we have suspended the principal… We had also issued a show-cause notice to the class teacher on Saturday, asking for an explanation as to why the child’s absence was not reported immediately.

Although the police report has only indicated the involvement of the principal, we will await the explanation of the class teacher too…”

On Limkheda Bar Association’s “resolution” to not represent the accused principal, its president Vajesinh Labana said, “The incident is indeed tragic and painful. The bar association has decided that no advocate practising in this court will represent the accused in this matter.”