Kerala Woman Arrested for Murdering Three-and-a-Half-Year-Old Daughter
The body of the child recovered from Chalakudy River
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala police arrested a woman in connection with the murder of her three and half -year-old daughter Kalyani, whose body was found in the Chalakudy river in Ernakulam district in the wee hours of Tuesday.
The police recorded Sandhya's arrest after she reportedly confessed to killing the child. The woman has been charged with murder under section 101(3) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanita (BNS).
The police said that although Sandhya, 38, has confessed to committing the crime, more details are awaited on the motive behind the gruesome murder. The cops have gathered CCTV footage of Sandhya going towards the river and returning alone.
A massive search operation was carried out for the missing child by police and fire force personnel. The body was recovered from the river in the wee hours of Tuesday.
The postmortem report has also confirmed "asphyxia due to drowning" as the cause of death.
The woman became a suspect after she arrived at her home in Kurumassery alone. Earlier, she had left her husband's house with her daughter.
There are reports that the woman was suffering from psychiatric issues. Her husband accused Sandhya of maltreating the child earlier as well.
Ernakulam Rural SP M Hemalatha told media persons that the help of medical experts would be taken to assess the psychiatric issues of the woman. The police are also probing whether there was any family feud.
She said there were inconsistencies in Sandhya’s statement. The statements of the relatives would also be recorded to get more clarity on the case.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people bid a tearful farewell to Kalyanai at her house in Chottanikkara. The entire area is in a state of shock as a pall of gloom prevails in the village. People are struggling to come to terms with the gruesome murder.
