Sanatan Thakur claims his daughter-in-law was behind pushing needles in child's body

Sanatan Thakur, the accused of Purulia murder case, claimed that it was his daughter-in-law who had inserted needles in different parts of the three-year-old girl's body.

Sanatan was arrested from Pipri village in Uttar Pradesh on July 31 in connection with the death of the girl who died as seven needles were inserted in her body.

The police brought Sanatan to Purulia in transit remand from Uttar Pradesh in the wee hours on Wednesday. He was brought to Asansol by Shantipunja Express from where he was taken to Purulia by road.

At Asansol, Sanatan told reporters that it was his daughter-in-law who was behind the murder of the girl. He claimed that his daughter-in-law was jealous as Mongala had started staying in his house along with her three-year-old daughter. So she planned the murder of the girl.

He also claimed that Mongala to be his wife. She had started staying in Sanatan's house after she was abandoned by her husband.

The accused's daughter-in-law Rinki Thakur brushed aside the allegations and claimed that he is trying to pass the buck on to save himself. "Why had he fled if he is innocent?" asked Rinki after stating that he was trying to frame her as she had protested against her misdeeds.

He was produced before the Purulia District Court and he was remanded to the custody of police for seven days. Sanatan has been booked on charges of murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.

He was produced before the court amidst tight security. Hundreds of people from the accused's village gathered outside the court premises and they demanded maximum punishment of the accused.

Even RAF was deployed considering that there would be trouble when Sanatan is produced before the court.