Navi Mumbai was shaken by a deeply disturbing crime after a 30-year-old woman allegedly strangled her six-year-old daughter to death because the child could not speak Marathi, police said on Friday.

The horrifying incident occurred in Gurusankalp Housing Society in Sector-1 of Kalamboli, where the woman allegedly murdered the child and later attempted to pass off the death as a “heart attack.”

According to the Kalamboli Police, suspicion arose when the circumstances surrounding the child’s sudden death did not add up. A post-mortem examination was ordered, which revealed that the girl had died due to asphyxiation caused by obstruction of the airway, contradicting the family’s initial claim.

During interrogation, investigators uncovered a troubling pattern. The child reportedly had speech difficulties from a young age and primarily spoke Hindi instead of Marathi. This, police said, became a constant source of anger for the mother.

“She would often say, ‘I don’t want such a child; she doesn’t speak properly,’” a police officer revealed, quoting statements recorded during the investigation. The husband, an IT engineer, allegedly tried to reason with her multiple times.

On the night of December 23, the woman allegedly decided to kill the child. Coincidentally, the grandmother had visited the house earlier that day but did not get to meet the girl. Later that night, when the father returned home and found the child unconscious, she was rushed to a hospital.

At the hospital, the family claimed the child had suffered a heart attack. However, Senior Police Inspector Rajendra Kote of Kalamboli Police Station found the explanation suspicious and ordered an autopsy.

The medical findings pointed clearly to strangulation. After nearly six hours of sustained questioning, the mother allegedly confessed to killing her daughter.

Police also confirmed that the woman was undergoing psychiatric treatment, and her mental health condition is now being examined as part of the ongoing probe.

The accused has been arrested, and further investigation is underway to determine all circumstances surrounding the crime.