UP court gives man, 4 others life term for killing daughter, 9, to frame villager

A court in UP's Pilibhit sentenced a father and four accomplices to life for killing his nine-year-old daughter to frame a villager in a false murder case. The verdict underlines the brutality of the plot and the role of forensic evidence in exposing it.The court awarded the girl's father, Anees, rigorous life imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life, describing the crime as extremely cruel and unforgivable. (Representative image)A court in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district has sentenced five people, including a man who killed his nine-year-old daughter in 2022, to life imprisonment in a case linked to a conspiracy to frame a villager in a false murder case. Additional Sessions Judge Vijay Kumar Himanshu held all five accused guilty and imposed a fine of Rs 22,000 on each of them on Monday.The court awarded the girl's father, Anees, rigorous life imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life, describing the crime as extremely cruel and unforgivable. His accomplices, Shadab, Naseem, Saleem and Shahzade, were also sentenced to life imprisonment.According to prosecution officer Devendra Kumar, a villager, Sakil, had registered a rape case against Anees and his brother Shadab. After warrants were issued, the accused allegedly pressured Sakil to withdraw the case. When he refused, they conspired to implicate him in a false murder case and allegedly used Anees's daughter, Anam, as part of the plan, Kumar said.The prosecution said the incident took place on December 2, 2022. The accused took Anam to an Urs fair and, while returning, allegedly gave her sleeping pills in a field. After she became unconscious, Anees hit her on the head with a brick and then stabbed her to death with a knife, it said. Her body was then hidden in straw, and Anees later went to the police station and lodged a false complaint claiming that his daughter was missing.During the investigation, it emerged that the girl was still struggling for life after the attack and her father allegedly recorded a video of her instead of taking her to hospital, the prosecution said. Police pieced together the case on the basis of evidence, forensic reports and witness statements. Sakil's name was removed after he was found innocent during the investigation, and a chargesheet was filed against the five accused. The court has now sentenced all five to life imprisonment in the case.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 25, 2026 10:11 IST