NASHUA – Fed up with his 5-year-old daughter’s alleged refusal to do her homework or to listen to him most of the day, a Nashua father later told police that he “may have lost control” when he allegedly picked up a wooden stick and struck the girl’s feet.

While the injuries were considered quite minor, police said the fact that there was some visible bruising to the girl’s feet and a red mark on one of her hands prompted detectives to charge Mahesh Putha, 33, with one count of second-degree assault – domestic violence, which is a Class B felony.

Police said Putha was arrested “without incident,” but refused bail and spent the night in jail pending arraignment Tuesday in Superior Court.

The prosecutor and the attorney representing Putha agreed ahead of his scheduled arraignment that he be released on personal recognizance bail, with certain conditions.

One of those conditions states that Putha “shall not physically discipline any child,” and another orders him to enroll in parenting classes within 10 days, according to the bail order.

Putha is next scheduled to appear in court on March 31 for a review hearing.

Police said in their reports that they were made aware of the alleged incident when the girl told a teacher at her elementary school that “she was beaten with a wooden stick,” allegedly by her father.

In speaking with police, Putha initially denied the allegations, suggesting his daughter may have sustained the bruises while she and her sister were playing with a stick they brought into the house for that purpose, according to police reports.

But Putha later admitted to striking the girl’s feet, police said, because “she was not listening to him throughout the day … and she refused to do her homework,” the reports state.

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.

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