Only two witnesses examined in 14 months
PANAJI
Two years after a crime that shocked the country — the alleged killing of a four-year-old boy by his mother — the trial is moving very slowly. Fourteen months after the case began, only two witnesses have been examined.
The Children’s Court started the trial against Bengaluru-based AI start-up CEO Suchana Seth on November 7, 2024, a day after charges were framed. The first witness, hotel manager Gagan Gambhir, gave evidence on January 7, 2025. Taxi driver Roy John D’Souza, who drove Seth to Bengaluru, was examined next. A third witness is now being heard.
Seth is accused of killing her son on January 7, 2024. Police say she gave him an overdose of cough syrup and then smothered him. She allegedly packed his body in a trolley bag and hired a tourist taxi for Rs 30,000 for an overnight trip to Bengaluru. She was arrested in Karnataka after coordination between the driver and the Goa and Karnataka police.
Seth has denied murder, claiming the child “died suddenly” and blaming her estranged husband, Venkat Raman, for the situation.
As the case reached its second anniversary on January 7, 2026, key witnesses — including a room attendant, the investigating officer, a Karnataka police sub-inspector and the autopsy doctor — are yet to testify. Their statements are expected to explain the timeline and events after the child’s death. Seth has been in judicial custody at Colvale Central Jail since her arrest. She also faces another charge for allegedly assaulting a woman police officer in April 2025.
Crime that shocked the nation
The chargesheet describes Seth as well educated and capable of misleading investigators. Police said she did not cooperate and showed no remorse. They also said the autopsy did not support her claim of “sudden death”.
According to police, Raman last spoke to his son on a video call on the night of January 7, 2024. He returned from Indonesia after learning about the child’s death. The chargesheet also refers to the couple’s troubled marriage. In 2022, Seth accused Raman of domestic violence and sought monthly maintenance. In September 2023, a court issued a restraining order and granted her interim maintenance of Rs 20,000.
