The accused who tried to bury a two-day-old girl at Ashwanikumar graveyard on the night of October 25 was arrested on Sunday evening. The girl had died a day later.

The accused, 40-year-old Sukharam Tiwari, had told the graveyard staff to dig a grave for the newborn, but when helper Mukesh Rathod put the body wrapped in white cloth into the grave, the baby started crying.

Rathod tried to catch the accused, but he jumped into Tapi river and escaped, leaving his motorcycle behind.

On the basis of the bike’s registration number, the police questioned its owner Sukharam Tiwari, a resident of Shantinagar GHB in Pandesara. He confessed to the police that the girl was his child. The police had handed over the infant to Katargam Balashram. From there she was taken to Surat General Hospital where she died. The body was later sent to SMIMER hospital for post-mortem.

Katargam Sub-Inspector R C Palande said, “The accused works as a construction labourer. For the last two months he had been jobless. He already had four children: two boys, two girls. With no job, he was facing a financial crisis.

His worries increased as his wife was pregnant. Even her delivery was done at home. After the birth, he was under depression as he did not know how to run the house. As the newborn was sick, he decided to bury her alive.”

Tiwari told the neighbours that the girl was born dead, added Palande.