The Anchuthengu police on Friday arrested a 36-year-old woman for allegedly murdering her newborn baby.
An investigation instituted into the discovery of a mutilated corpse of the child on the Anchuthengu beach on July 18 led the police to the accused, Julie of Anjuthengu, a widow, who purportedly smothered her child to death fearing public ridicule. Julie, whose husband had died 12 years ago, has a son.
On recovering the remains of the child mauled by stray dogs, the police launched an inquiry in hospitals nearby to obtain information of women, hailing from the locality, who gave birth recently. They zeroed in on Julie after her neighbours voiced their suspicion on her pregnancy. She soon confessed to the crime after the police subjected her to medical examination.
According to the police, she concealed information of her pregnancy and her relationship with another man for fear of the derision she would have faced. After giving birth in her toilet early July 15, she choked the baby to death and buried the body behind the house. The body was found to have gone missing three days later, possibly after stray dogs pulled the remains out, the police said.
