Overview

• On June 29 in Latur district, 4-year-old Aarushi was strangled by her father, Balaji Rathod, after she asked him for money to buy chocolate.
• Rathod, who lived in Bhima Tanda in Udgir taluka, was arrested at the scene and charged with murder.
• Police registered an FIR based on a complaint from his estranged wife, Varsha, who has demanded the death penalty for her husband.
• Rathod had a long-standing alcohol addiction that led to frequent domestic quarrels and his wife’s recent separation.
• Investigators are gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses as they build the prosecution’s case.