A joint funeral has been held for a father and his young daughter who died in a murder-suicide on the Parramatta River in Sydney's inner west. Mourners gathered at Castlebrook Crematorium in Rouse Hill on Friday to pay their respects to Maulik Dhandhukia, 47, and his daughter, believed to be aged six or seven.
Funeral Service Details
During the livestreamed service, the pair's open caskets were placed side by side at the front of the room. Dhandhukia's wife and the girl's mother, Pritiben Dhandhukia, became visibly distressed as the coffins arrived. She wept beside them and could be heard calling out for her daughter as she leaned over the young girl's casket.
One speaker acknowledged the immense grief felt by those gathered, saying family and friends had come together despite the tragic circumstances. "It's a loss for the family — it's not a small loss and not something we can all understand," he said. "We've come together, so we can join in the ceremony and pray they are in a better place."
The speaker also urged those attending to keep Pritiben in their thoughts. "Let's pray the Almighty gives Prithi strength to go through this," he said. "We all pray that she comes out of this maybe even stronger, may not be better, but at least stronger."
Funeral Notice
The funeral notice described the deceased as "two kind and gentle souls who will forever remain in our hearts". It added, "May their souls rest in peace and live on in the loving memories of their loved ones."
Background of the Incident
Police previously revealed they found a suicide note on board the vessel and believe the incident was premeditated. Investigators found Dhandhukia had rented a runabout from Cabarita Point Marina several times in the week leading up to the tragedy. On Saturday, Dhandhukia and his daughter arrived at the marina in an Uber about 10am. His body was found floating near Hen and Chicken Bay at Abbotsford about 11.45am, while his daughter's body was recovered from the river at Concord about 5.30pm.
A friend of Dhandhukia's said he was "completely shocked" by the tragedy, describing him as a devoted family man. The friend said Dhandhukia and his wife had spent years trying to have a child before welcoming their daughter. He also recalled how Dhandhukia returned to India during the COVID-19 pandemic to care for his mother. "I still remember him saying with genuine worry, 'If I get sick, who will look after my family?'" the friend said.
Community Support
Another family friend, Jignesh Parmar, wrote on a GoFundMe page that the tragedy had left Pritiben "utterly alone". "Her beloved husband and her cherished daughter — her entire family, her whole reason for getting up each morning — were taken from her," Parmar wrote. "The home that was once full of love and laughter is now silent. And Pritiben, who gave her heart to her family every single day, has been left utterly alone."
The fundraiser aims to help cover funeral expenses and provide ongoing financial support. "None of us can bring back what she has lost," Parmar wrote. "But we can make sure she doesn't have to grieve while also lying awake at night worrying about money."
Social Media Posts
Just over a week before the incident, Dhandhukia shared a lengthy Facebook post about chronic neck pain, which he said had caused "70 to 90 per cent" of the problems in his life. He wrote that the pain began after he failed to warm up properly before a gym session in Mumbai in 2004 or 2005 and had persisted for more than two decades. Dhandhukia claimed the condition had forced him to turn down a US visa and Canadian permanent residency. "Now, I have turned 47 and so ageing will start showing its effect," he wrote.
Burwood Police Area Command Superintendent Christine McDonald said, "This is an absolute tragedy for the family and the community on every level."
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