Thursday 28 Mar 2024

Five-month-old baby dies, parents arrested

THE GOAN NETWORK | AUGUST 14, 2022, 11:34 PM IST

MAPUSA

A couple was arrested for murder on Sunday for allegedly beating their five-month-old baby to death at Sirsaim in Tivim.

The accused husband has been identified as Sudan Gondlekar (42) who is a coconut plucker and the wife Arminda Fernandes (32) a housewife.

Police informed that the infant was beaten with a wooden rolling pin locally known as ‘latni’ used to flatten chapattis even as some bruises were noticed on the body of the five-month-old baby girl.

The crime came to light after the father of the child rushed with the body of the infant to the Colvale police station in the wee hours of Sunday.

Colvale Police initially detained the parents of the child and began investigations in the case. Later in the evening both the husband and wife were arrested for murder.

A case of murder has been registered against the couple under Section 302 r/w 34 of the IPC and section 8(2) of Goa Children’s Act, 2003.

Meanwhile, the body of the child has been sent for post mortem to the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim.

“The exact cause of death will be revealed only after the autopsy report. The motive is also yet to be established and is part of the ongoing investigation,” said Shobit Saxena, SP North Goa.

According to police, the couple have been residing in a rental house in Sirsaim and have another two-year-old daughter who was not living with them at the time of the crime.

Police sources informed that one possible reason could be that the parents were not happy with a second girl child as they already had a daughter.

North Goa SP Shobit Saxena and Mapusa SDPO Jivba Dalvi visited the scene of offence and are supervising the investigation. A forensic team of the Goa Police were also part of the investigation.

Colvale PI, Somanth Mahajik is investigating further.


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