From correspondents in West Bengal, India, 01:31 PM IST

A two-day old infant was killed by her father in a West Bengal town. The father surrendered to police Thursday.

The incident took place at Puruliya town of West Bengal, some 330 km from here.

'Ratan Santra, 24, choked his two-day-old girl to death at his residence Wednesday night. He surrendered to police Thursday morning,' said an official of Puruliya police station.

Santra, a balloon seller, said he killed his daughter to save her from poverty and hunger.

'I hardly earn Rs.30 a day and have a mother, a wife and two more daughters to feed. Another daughter means an extra burden. So I killed her to save her, as well as ourselves from poverty and hunger,' said Santra.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)