The Gujarat High Court has granted bail to a woman accused of beating her two-year-old daughter to death after the child allegedly asked for food, describing the case as a “collective failure of society” rather than an isolated crime.
Court calls hunger a matter of human dignity
Justice Hasmukh D. Suthar observed that the case was a heartbreaking reminder that hunger is not merely an economic issue but one of human dignity, justice and collective conscience.
The accused, Lakhiben Solanki, a mother of three, was arrested in March 2026 in a case registered at Surat’s Varachha Police Station.
According to the prosecution, she allegedly assaulted her two-year-old daughter Isha after the child repeatedly asked for food because of hunger.
Defence cites pregnancy and family circumstances
Seeking bail, the woman’s counsel informed the court that Lakhiben is seven months pregnant. The court was also told that one of her children is living with her in jail, while another is alone outside.
Her husband had allegedly abandoned the family, and she was reportedly in a live-in relationship before the incident.
Court says tragedy reflects systemic failure
Justice Suthar observed that when hunger drives a mother to such an extreme act, the failure lies not with an individual alone but with society as a whole.
The court stated that the case exposed shortcomings in the social welfare system and stressed that protecting vulnerable women and children is a moral responsibility of both the state and society.
Judgment cites Constitution, literature and religious teachings
The court referred to constitutional provisions guaranteeing early childhood care and nutrition, noting that the state has a duty to improve nutritional standards and living conditions.
The judgment also drew references from Pannalal Patel’s Gujarati novel “Manavini Bhavai”, Victor Hugo’s “Les Misérables”, the writings of Mahatma Gandhi, Charles Dickens, Aristotle and teachings from various religions, emphasising that feeding the hungry is a sacred duty.
Poverty considered while granting bail
Although the prosecution opposed bail, arguing that the woman’s role in the offence was clearly established, the court held that the tragedy stemmed from extreme poverty, hunger and the mother’s inability to provide for her child.
The judgment said that the case should serve as a warning to strengthen compassion and social responsibility so that no mother or child is forced to endure starvation.
