‘Wife still searches for the baby in her sleep’

BHOPAL: The mother of a threemonth-old infant, who was raped and murdered in Indore on April 21, still searches for her baby in her sleep and wakes up crying, said her husband on Saturday.

The family from a slum near Indore’s aerodrome area often slept rough on pavements. Navin Gadke took away the baby when the parents were sleeping on a footpath, and raped and murdered her.

“My wife cried a lot the first few days but she is coming to terms with it slowly,” said the husband, whose identity is withheld.

According to i nspector Shivpal Singh Kushwaha, the father played the dhol during festivals and sold bal- loons and trinkets, while the mother cleaned shops in the market.

The infant’s father is satisfied with the death penalty to rapist Gadke — a relative who belongs to the tribal Pardi community.

“The death sentence was the right thing, nothing less would have been sufficient. I want everyone to know about this judgment so that people think twice before committing such heinous crimes,” he said.

Gadke, a daily wage earner, cleaned utensils in small eateries dotting the market around Rajwada.

Madhya Pradesh woman and child welfare department minister Archana Chitnis said: “We are pleased with the judgment and believe that such swift and strong punishment will act as a deterrent for others and keep our women safe.”