Gujarat HC grants bail to woman accused of daughter’s murder; cites poverty and starvation
The judge stressed that the incident should not be viewed solely as an individual crime but as a reflection of systemic shortcomings in ensuring access to basic necessities
The Gujarat High Court recently granted bail to a woman from Surat, Lakhiben Solanki, who is accused of fatally beating her two-year-old daughter, Eesha. Justice Hasmukh D. Suthar ruled that the case illustrates a larger issue with the state and society failing to protect vulnerable families from hunger and extreme poverty. The judge referenced literature, including Mahatma Gandhi, Charles Dickens, and various religious texts, to underline the moral duty of feeding the hungry.
Solanki was arrested in March and has been in custody since then. According to prosecutors, the accused allegedly beat her daughter after the child repeatedly asked for food. The high court noted that when starvation drives a mother to such extremes, the failure extends beyond the individual to society as a whole. The court emphasized the constitutional responsibility of the state to safeguard children's nutrition, health, and welfare.
The defence sought bail on humanitarian grounds, citing Solanki's pregnancy, her other young child in prison, and an older child at home without proper care after her husband’s alleged desertion. The court acknowledged the allegations arose from a backdrop of extreme poverty and the accused's inability to provide food for her child, before granting regular bail.
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