Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court, has granted bail to a 25-year-old mother, accused of killing her own daughter by drowning her with the help of her paramour. The eight-year-old girl was found dead in a water sump in the Tavarekere police limits. The incident came to light two days after the innocent child was killed in September 2015.
The investigation led to the arrest of the mother and her paramour. The mother (Latha), working in a garment factory, had approached the police claiming that her daughter had gone missing. However, investigations revealed that the illicit partner of the married woman had pushed the girl inside a sump and drowned her. The mother was arrested along with her partner for assisting in the alleged crime.
The woman is charged for offences under Sections 302 (punishment for murder) and 201 (causing the disappearance of evidence) along with Section 34 (acts done by several persons for furtherance of common intention) of the IPC. The allegations are that the petitioner and her paramour did not like Smitha, daughter of the petitioner as they would have to bring her up and undertake the responsibility of her marriage.
The victim’s father Nagaraju had died in a road mishap. After his death Latha, had an affair with Ramesh (the prime accused), who had helped her lease a house where she was living along with Smitha and her six-year-old son. It is when her daughter started questioning her about Ramesh’s frequent visits to their house that they both hatched up the murder plan. The prosecution seeking to dismiss the bail application at the High Court, vehemently opposed the bail plea.
“The main charge is against Ramesh, who drowned the girl in the sump. Now, whether Latha was actually involved or not in the murder, will have to be decided during the trial. The petitioner is a woman who has a male child, aged 4 years. She is a permanent resident of Bengaluru, who has her roots in the community and undertakes to obey all the conditions,” observes the High Court while granting bail with certain conditions.
