PATHANAMTHITTA: Tiruvalla police have arrested Neethu, a 20-year-old woman, for allegedly killing her infant shortly after giving birth at her rented house where she was staying with colleagues.
Tiruvalla DySP Ashad S said the incident occurred on December 1. "The woman had been working as a general duty assistant in a private hospital in Tiruvalla for the past few months. She informed us that she became pregnant by her lover, a native of Thrissur. However, her friends and relatives were unaware of her pregnancy until the incident came to light. She and seven other employees of the hospital were staying in a rented house in Tiruvalla, and the accused was residing alone in a room in the house. On December 1, her friends, who were staying with her, grew suspicious after she spent a prolonged period in her room. They knocked on the door several times, and after some time, she opened the room. That's when they found Neethu bleeding and also discovered an infant girl in a bucket in the toilet," Ashad told The New Indian Express.
Both were rushed to Tiruvalla Taluk Hospital, but the infant was declared brought dead. An autopsy at Kottayam Medical College Hospital confirmed the infant's death as murder by drowning. Neethu later confessed to the police that she allegedly killed the infant by pouring water on its face using a cup, as the baby cried soon after delivery. She placed the deceased infant in a bucket, covered it with clothes and attempted to conceal it. However, her friends discovered the scene and took them to the hospital.
Under police surveillance in the hospital, Neethu was arrested on Wednesday after being discharged. She is set to appear in court soon. Police said she is a native of Melevettippuram in Pathanamthitta.
DySP Ashad mentioned that when they questioned Neethu's lover, he expressed readiness to care for her and the baby. Neethu did not deny these statements during interrogation, and currently, there is no evidence implicating her lover in the infant's murder. A DNA test will be conducted on the baby as part of the ongoing investigation.