20-year-old mother suffocates infant, arrested in Kanniyakumari

CHENNAI: A 20-year-old woman from Kattuvilai near Karungal in Kanniyakumari district has been arrested for allegedly killing her newborn daughter.

Police said the accused, identified as Benita Jeya Annal, had married Karthik (21) of Naga Konanur near Vedasandur in Dindigul district about a year ago after falling in love. After their wedding, Karthik stayed with his wife’s family in Kanniyakumari and started working at a private firm in the area.

According to a Daily Thanthi report, Benita gave birth to a baby girl around 40 days ago. On the night of September 9, Karthik returned home from work and found the infant lying motionless. When he questioned his wife, she reportedly claimed that the baby had slipped from her hands while being breastfed and sustained injuries. Karthik rushed the child to a private hospital in Karungal, where doctors declared the infant dead on arrival.

Based on Karthik’s complaint, Karungal police registered a case and sent the body to Asaripallam Government Hospital for post-mortem. The autopsy report revealed that the infant had been murdered, prompting police to launch a detailed inquiry.

During interrogation, Benita confessed to suffocating the child by stuffing paper into her mouth. In her statement, she reportedly told the police that after the baby’s birth, her husband’s affection towards her had declined, leading to frequent quarrels at home. Believing the baby to be the cause for their strained relationship, she killed the infant out of anger.

Police arrested Benita and remanded her in judicial custody.