In a shocking incident in the Indian state of West Bengal, a man accused of killing pregnant wife and three daughters with poison, allegedly did so because he feared having a fourth daughter.
The locals in his village then beat him to death.
The incident took place in Jemuya village, some 170 km from state capital Kolkata.
According to a report in Indian tabloid Mid-Day, the police were quotes as saying that Barkat Ali, 45, has often fought with his wife and beat her up for having given birth to three daughters.
Ali too had taken some poison but not enough to kill himself.
The incident comes barely two days after a three-month-old girl in Bangalore succumbed to severe injuries inflicted on her by her father who wanted a male child.