Kishore Dhanak, a 40‑year‑old construction supervisor, smothered his 5‑year‑old daughter in his home in Amreli district on Wednesday, immediately placed her body in a refrigerator, and then hanged himself from a ceiling fan—an act that shocked the local community.
He left three suicide notes on his bed: one blaming an unpaid Rs 7.25 lakh personal loan, another confessing that he killed the child to spare her suffering after his death, and a third apologising for storing the body in the fridge. The notes revealed a man drowning in financial debt that he could not resolve.
The scene inside the house was surreal: balloons, candles, a white dress, a dupatta over the child’s head, tulsi leaves on her lips, chocolates in the room, and a card that read "Happy Birthday Himanshi." Inspector P L Chaudhary noted that the décor seemed designed to celebrate a birthday that never came.
Manjuben Dhanak discovered the bodies after breaking into the house on the evening of Wednesday, following continuous unanswered calls since September 14. The mother’s frantic search and the grim discovery underscored the tragedy’s personal dimension.
Deputy Superintendent Nayana Goradiya registered the case under section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The police are now probing the financial background of the deceased and the circumstances that led to the fatal act, with the investigation continuing into the next few days.