A 22-year-old man has been arrested in Bengaluru for allegedly murdering his 11-month-old daughter after police determined that the child’s death, initially reported as an accident, was the result of foul play. Authorities are also searching for his wife, who has been named as a co-accused in the case.
The incident took place on June 9 in Kithaganur, in east Bengaluru. The deceased was the couple’s second daughter.
According to police, the accused, identified as Shekhappa, initially claimed that the infant died after falling from a cot while her mother, Vijayalakshmi, had fallen asleep while breastfeeding her. Based on this account, police registered an unnatural death case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
However, investigators later found that the child’s injuries were inconsistent with a fall from a cot approximately two feet high.
The post-mortem examination reportedly revealed extensive internal injuries, excessive bleeding and respiratory failure, prompting police to suspect homicide.
Following the findings, police booked both parents under Sections 103(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Shekhappa, a native of Yadgir district who works as a tractor driver, has since been arrested. Vijayalakshmi remains absconding, and efforts are underway to trace her.
