Woman held on charge of killing her newborn

The Nedumangad police on Thursday arrested a 28-year-old woman for allegedly murdering and burying her newborn child.

Viji of Mankuzhy in Panavoor was apprehended after her neighbours complained of a stench from the premises of her house. On probing further, the police found the putrefied body buried near the well. She purportedly confessed to the police that she had given birth to the baby boy whom she murdered shortly after on Sunday.

According to the police, the accused, who has two daughters aged nine and six, has been living separately from her husband for five years.

“She killed the baby in a bid to conceal an extramarital affair. She managed to mislead her parents and children during pregnancy by claiming she had an abscess on her stomach that had to be surgically removed,” a police officer said.

The body was shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital mortuary after completion of inquest proceedings.