A woman and her lesbian partner have been arrested in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district for allegedly murdering her six-month-old baby, days after the child’s father accused them of foul play.
Earlier this month, the infant was believed to have died while being breastfed. Police initially registered a case of unnatural death but did not conduct a post-mortem, NDTV reported. The child was later buried on the family’s farmland.
Father’s complaint prompts exhumation
Authorities discovered that the baby had been taken to the Kelamangalam Government Hospital after becoming unconscious while breastfeeding. Doctors declared the child dead upon arrival, India Today reported.
A few days later, the father approached police with a complaint, claiming he had found messages, photos, and videos indicating that his wife was in a relationship with another woman. He alleged that his child might have been killed due to tensions arising from the affair.
Following the complaint, police exhumed the infant’s body and ordered a post-mortem. The report revealed that the baby had been smothered and strangled, according to NDTV.
‘Did Not Want Her Husband’s Child’
Investigators said the two women had been in a relationship for about three years, but their relationship became strained after the baby’s birth. During questioning, the mother reportedly admitted she “did not want her husband’s child” and accused her husband of neglect.
Both women were taken into custody and charged with murder.
Recent rise in child murder cases
The disturbing incident comes amid a spate of recent child murder cases in southern India.
Last month, a 26-year-old man in Bengaluru was arrested for killing his girlfriend’s seven-year-old daughter because she allegedly “interrupted” their private time.
In another case earlier this month, a five-year-old boy was kidnapped and murdered by his father’s driver in an act of revenge. Police said the driver was angry after being scolded by the boy’s father over a personal dispute.