Bengaluru: In a deeply disturbing case, a 27-year-old woman from Nelamangala, near Bengaluru, has been taken into custody for allegedly ending the life of her newborn by placing the baby in boiling water, as per a report by Deccan Herald.
The woman, Radha, reportedly suffering from postpartum depression, was alone at her parents’ residence in Vishweshwarapura when the tragedy occurred. She allegedly boiled water in a vessel over a stove and placed the infant inside, leading to the baby’s death by burns.
Investigators said the baby had been born prematurely, was refusing to feed, and often cried uncontrollably, which led Radha to believe something was wrong with the child. Her husband, unemployed and battling alcohol addiction, had stopped visiting her, compounding her emotional distress, according to police.
Authorities believe Radha’s deteriorating mental health may have significantly influenced her actions.
In a separate incident from April, Bengaluru police arrested P Appanna, a 43-year-old coffee estate owner from Virajpet, Kodagu, for abandoning his two-week-old daughter in a parked auto-rickshaw at Kengeri Satellite Bus Stand.
The infant, born with a cleft lip, was left by Appanna and his partner around 5 a.m. Surveillance footage helped police track the suspects. A local resident, alerted by the baby’s cries, informed authorities. The child was admitted to Vani Vilas Hospital and later placed in child welfare custody.
Mental health struggles and social stigma are being probed in both tragic incidents.