In a chilling case that has come to light nearly three years later, Kerala Police have arrested a mother in the Pathanamthitta district for her alleged involvement in the murder of her eight-month-old baby, who was killed because she would not stop crying at night. Authorities confirmed on Wednesday that 38-year-old Manju was taken into custody following an extensive investigation into the infant's death, which occurred in August 2023. A special investigation team led by Thiruvalla Deputy Superintendent of Police P. R. Santosh executed the arrest after a lengthy probe. The infant's body had been discovered on August 12, 2023, at around 6:00 PM in a grass-covered marshy area located within the Pulikeezhu police station limits at Valanjavattom.
Dispute, Departure, and a Transient Life
According to police findings, Manju had left her home in Alappuzha along with her newborn daughter in 2023 following a domestic dispute with her husband, Esakki. Investigators stated that while she was sitting outside a shop in Kalarcode, a man named Shivan approached her and offered to take care of the mother and child. Police noted that Shivan leads a nomadic lifestyle. Following this encounter, Manju accompanied Shivan to Changanassery, where the pair began living with the infant on the veranda of a local shop.
The Stranglehold and the Disposal of the Body
Police revealed that on a night in August 2023, the baby began crying persistently. Enraged by the noise, Shivan allegedly strangled the infant, resulting in her death. To dispose of the body, Shivan and Manju called Shivan's younger brother, Shakti. The three accused allegedly loaded the infant's body onto a scooter brought by Shakti, transported it to the marshy terrain in Valanjavattom, dumped it there, and fled the scene. The grim plot unraveled only when Manju returned alone to her native settlement in Palakkad without the child.
Suspension, Interrogation, and the Breakthrough
Manju is a resident of the Chemmandodu Scheduled Tribe colony near the Meenkara Dam within the Meenakshipuram police station jurisdiction, where she worked as a colony promoter. When a local colony promoter inquired about the missing baby, Manju failed to provide any coherent or clear explanation. Consequently, the promoter alerted the Meenakshipuram police. Upon being questioned by law enforcement, Manju broke down and confessed to the crime during the interrogation.
Special Investigation Team and Ongoing Manhunt
Following her confession at the Meenakshipuram station, a special police team detained Manju and transferred her to the Pulikeezhu police station for further proceedings. Authorities stated that under the strict directives of Pathanamthitta District Police Chief R. Anand, a massive manhunt has been launched to apprehend the remaining suspects, identified as the primary accused Shivan and the co-accused Shakti. Meanwhile, the third accused, Manju, was produced before a court, which subsequently remanded her to judicial custody.
