Mainpuri: A 48-year-old man was taken into custody after allegedly shooting his 19-year-old daughter in the head while she was asleep, following a dispute over her refusal to accept an arranged marriage, according to police.
The violent incident took place on Monday in Bhongaon town, located within Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri district. The young woman, identified as Shazia, sustained critical injuries and was initially rushed to a district hospital before being transferred to Saifai Medical College for advanced treatment.
Superintendent of Police (City) Arun Kumar Singh visited the location to inspect the scene and gathered details from neighbors and family members to understand the sequence of events leading up to the shooting.
According to police, Shazia was in a romantic relationship and intended to marry her partner of choice. Her father, Asin Khan, a daily wage labourer, had instead arranged her wedding to another individual scheduled for November 19.
Authorities stated that when the daughter strongly objected to the parental choice and insisted on marrying her own partner, the father allegedly retrieved a firearm and shot her in the head during the night.
The sound of the gunshot alerted the victim's mother, Kherunisha, who rushed into the room to find her daughter wounded and promptly transported her for emergency medical care.
Following the incident, Kherunisha registered a formal First Information Report against her husband, accusing him of attempting to murder their child. Police confirmed that the accused father has since been arrested in connection with the attack.