Jajpur: A woman reportedly murdered her minor daughter by throwing her in a village pond in Mugpal village in Kuakhia police station limits in the district late last night. The accused has been identified as Sony Behera, 26.

A police source said the woman was married to Bijay Kumar Behera, 30, around seven years ago and they lived in Mugpal village. Behera was a drum beater by profession, had two children, a six-year-old son and a three-year-old daughter. The husband had gone out to beat drum on Friday. The couple had a quarrel over some domestic issue on that day. He had not given any money to the woman and therefore she could not prepare food for herself, in-laws and two children on Saturday. The entire family had to starve.

"The couple had a quarrel over some domestic issue and the husband went out to beat the drums on Friday. As he had not given any money to his wife during his departure, the family had nothing to eat on Saturday. While the son was sleeping with her grand mother in a separate room, the accused was sleeping with her three-year-old daughter, identified as Barsha in the other room," said Kuakhia Police station inspector-in-charge Ashis Kumar Sahu.

He said on late Saturday night while Barsha was asleep, the woman threw her into the village pond.

"The woman went to her parental home in Mahapur village in Jajpur Sadar police limits on morning and told them that she killed her daughter," Sahu said.

Later, the family members and local residents recovered the body from the pond and informed the police. The police said the body was sent to district head quarters hospital for post-mortem.