A 23-year-old woman has been taken into custody for killing her newborn by throwing the baby from the fifth floor of her apartment in Vidya Nagar, Panampilly Nagar, Kochi, Kerala. Following a postmortem examination, the baby was pronounced dead, and the authorities charged the mother with murder. Preliminary autopsy results revealed that the infant died from head injuries. Due to the woman being a rape victim, the police informed the media that her identity could not be disclosed. The investigation team plans to request judicial custody for the woman after she recovers. She has been moved to Ernakulam General Hospital for treatment.
The woman had previously attempted to abort the pregnancy, but her efforts were unsuccessful. She admitted to the police that she had searched the internet for ways to get rid of the baby after its birth. Driven by fear of having given birth, she described how she delivered the baby in the apartment’s bathroom around 5 a.m. on May 3. She then placed a piece of cloth in the newborn’s mouth to prevent cries and used a shawl to choke him. When her mother knocked on the door, she wrapped the baby in a plastic bag and threw him from the fifth-floor balcony, despite initially intending to dispose of the body elsewhere. She also contemplated ending her own life at that moment.
[adinserter name="Eight"]The woman disclosed to the authorities that her parents were unaware of her pregnancy and had no involvement in the incident. Her parents corroborated her statement. However, the police remain suspicious of their involvement and plan to question them further.
The woman had transferred to a city college a month ago after studying in a nearby state. Investigators discovered that she had been dating a young man from Thrissur, whom she met on social media. However, she did not make any accusations against him. According to the police, a case will be registered only if she makes a statement implicating him.
[adinserter name="Seven"]At around 8:15 a.m., a school bus driver spotted a corpse wrapped in a plastic cover from an online shopping platform on the road and immediately called the police, who rushed to the scene. Other reports indicated that the body was discovered by city cleaning staff, who also contacted the authorities. Local representatives arrived at the scene as well.
[adinserter name="Two"]The police revealed that the woman had fully prepared to give birth in her apartment’s bathroom. They arrived at the location around 8:30 a.m. after receiving news of a newborn’s body found on the road. An official explained, “There were CCTV cameras outside the apartment. When we reviewed the footage, we saw a package falling from the top floors of the building around 8-8:15 a.m. This confirmed that someone in the apartment had thrown out the body.”
[adinserter name="Six"]Investigators made a significant breakthrough when they examined the plastic cover next to the body. A barcode printed on the Amazon plastic cover led them to the address to which the package was delivered. “We found a barcode on the plastic cover. After scanning it, we discovered the address of the suspect living in a flat on the fifth floor of the apartment. We interrogated the suspect, and she confessed to the crime,” an officer stated.
[adinserter name="Three"]The Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has launched an investigation into the incident. The Kochi City police commissioner has been asked to provide a report to the commission. KV Manoj Kumar, the chairman of the Child Protection Rights Commission, emphasized the importance of safeguarding newborns. “No one should harm newborns if they are unable to protect them. There are many government systems in place to protect them, including Ammathottil and Children’s Homes, where they can grow up safely,” he said.
[adinserter name="Five"]Meanwhile, a former maid named Sreeja, who was dismissed from the household a few months ago, has come forward with statements critical of the family amidst these events. Sreeja, who worked as a maid in the home for nearly nine years, claims she was unfairly dismissed two months ago. According to her, the family members were generally reserved and did not converse freely. Additionally, Sreeja alleges that the family owes her a month’s salary.
[adinserter name="Four"]She recounted that she was dismissed from her job when the daughter returned from Bengaluru two months ago. She was surprised to learn that the daughter was expecting, as the girl was constantly using her computer and showed no obvious signs of pregnancy during Sreeja’s time there.
