KOCHI: In a chilling incident, a 36-year-old woman allegedly killed her newborn by throwing it into a quarry pond near her house on Thursday. The Puthencruz police have arrested the woman, Shalini P of Pazhukkamattathu Veettil.
The incident, which took place near Thiruvaniyoor here on Wednesday, came to light after Shalini, a daily wager, was rushed to the Tripunithura taluk hospital after she was found bleeding. Upon examination, doctors confirmed the bleeding was due to delivery and informed the police.
“The woman, a mother of four, was living with her kids here. Her relation with her husband was strained and they were living separately,” said a police officer.
“Shalini left her house early on Wednesday after telling her younger son that she was experiencing severe abdominal pain. She delivered the baby — a boy — at a rubber plantation near her house. She then covered the infant in two shirts, tied a heavy stone to the body and threw it into the pond, just 500m away from her house,” said a police officer, adding Shalini also placed a cloth in the baby’s mouth. The police said she killed the newborn out of shame of becoming pregnant while living separately from her husband. She had kept her relatives and neighbours in the dark as well.
The scuba diving team of the Fire and Rescue Services department recovered the newborn’s body by 2pm. The police had taken Shalini to the spot as there were three quarries in the area.“Neighbours had informed panchayat members that Shalini was lying in a pool of blood at her house. Her elder son informed her husband too. Though he reached the house, Shalini did not allow him to enter. Ward members who arrived at the spot were also not allowed to enter the house. With the help of the Puthencruz police, she was taken to the taluk hospital and then to the Ernakulam General Hospital,” said a police officer.
Shalini was booked under IPC Section 302 (murder) and presented before the magistrate on Thursday. She was remanded in judicial custody, said an officer. She is currently under treatment at the general hospital here. The police will move the court seeking her custody for further interrogation once her health improves, said the officer. A team led by DySP G Ajaynath is heading the investigation.