VELLORE: In a case of female infanticide, following the child’s body being exhumed from their farm on Thursday, the absconding parents were apprehended by police on Friday morning. During initial interrogation, the father confessed to killing the infant using poisonous cactus sap, as he had been hoping for his second child to be a boy. Their first child, a girl, has been placed in a government home.
According to sources, the accused, C Jeeva (30) and S Dayana (20), buried their infant daughter in their farm in Yeriyur village on Wednesday night. Dayana later told her father, P Saravanan (43), the baby had died after bleeding from her nose and mouth. Unconvinced, Saravanan filed a complaint with the Veppankulam police.
Subsequently, the couple absconded after they were questioned by police. The child’s body was exhumed by police and revenue officials on Thursday, and was sent to the Vellore Government Medical College and Hospital for postmortem examination.
Sources said, the absconding parents then approached the Yeriyur village panchayat secretary allegedly seeking help in evading arrest. In turn, the panchayat secretary alerted the VAO, leading to their arrest on Friday morning.
During initial inquiry, Jeeva confessed to killing the infant using poisonous cactus sap, as he had been hoping for a male second child. However, the postmortem revealed severe blood clots in the infant’s head and traces of blue-coloured chemicals, sources said. The complete autopsy report is awaited.
Collector V R Subbulaxmi, expressing concern, told TNIE, “We are deeply troubled by this case. Officials from the District Child Protection Department and Child Welfare Committee have been sent to investigate previous infanticide cases in the village, and awareness programmes on preventing female infanticide are being bolstered.” She also appealed to the public that if they don’t want to bring up a girl child, they can hand her over to the government to take care.
A case has been filed and further probe is underway.