International

An Indian father has been arrested for attempted murder after trying to bury his ten-year old daughter alive.

Locals in Putia village, in Tripura, northeast India, alerted police that Abul Hussein was trying to bury his daughter in the backyard of his home.

When police arrived at his home he had had tied his daughter's hands with rope and taped her mouth before burying her up to her chest

Police said that Hussein disliked girls and tried to kill his ten-year-old daughter Rukshena while his wife was away from their home. He was desperate for a son and hated that he had a daughter.

Senior police official Pradip Dey said: 'We received a call from a villager telling us that a man was trying to kill his daughter by burying her alive. Our team immediately reached the house and found Rukshena.

'We rescued her and arrested Abul Hussein for attempted murder. He is now in judicial custody until his trial.'

After burying Ruskshena up to her waist her mother returned home but Hussein temporarily threw a bamboo basket over her head, intending to finish the job later.

But his wife grew suspicious and called neighbours for help. She claimed she was already worried about her husband's love for their daughter.