BENGALURU — A couple from Kithaganur in east Bengaluru has been implicated in the tragic murder of their 11-month-old daughter, following an investigation that disproved their claims of an accidental fall.
On June 9, the child—the couple's second daughter—passed away. The father, Shekhappa (22), a tractor driver originally from the Yadgir district, claimed the infant died accidentally. He told police that his wife, Vijayalakshmi, had fallen asleep while breastfeeding, causing the baby to fall from their two-foot-high cot.
Avalahalli police initially registered the incident as an unnatural death under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Medical Evidence Exposes the Truth
Suspicion arose during the initial investigation when detectives noticed external injuries inconsistent with a minor fall from a bed.
A subsequent post-mortem report officially dismantled the parents' story, revealing:
Extensive internal injuries
Excessive internal bleeding
Severe respiratory failure
Following the medical findings, police upgraded the case to murder, booking both parents under Sections 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Shekhappa has been arrested and is currently in custody, while a police search is underway for Vijayalakshmi, who remains absconding.
