The four-year-old boy was “smothered,” and the crime occurred at least 36 hours earlier, according to the youngster’s post-mortem and the police interrogation of Suchana Seth, a start-up CEO from Bengaluru who is accused of killing him at a Goa hotel.
In Karnataka, Dr Kumar Naik, a government doctor who conducted the post-mortem, said, “The child was killed more than 36 hours earlier. He has been smothered or strangulated. There are no wounds or signs of struggle. There may be the use of a pillow or a wire.”
According to him, the absence of rigour mortis, which is the rigidity of the limbs due to chemical changes in the muscles, suggests that the claimed murder occurred at least 36 hours prior.
Seth was apprehended in the Chitradurga region of Karnataka while purportedly attempting to escape in a taxi, concealing her son’s body under a bag.
The youngster was smothered in Goa, “possibly using a pillow from the service apartment,” according to a senior police officer who was interviewing her.
“A murder weapon was not present. She apparently attempted suicide by cutting her wrists with scissors. A DNA test will be conducted to confirm the collection of blood samples, the officer stated.
When the police called her on her way to Karnataka and inquired about the blood found in her hotel room, which was discovered by the housekeeping staff, she initially explained it was because she was menstruating.
“She said she would pay for the cleaning. However, our preliminary probe found the bloodstains on the towels and the floor were from the injuries she sustained,” said the officer.
Police said Seth married Venkat Raman in 2010 and the couple had a son in 2019, following which differences cropped up in their marriage. “According to her husband’s statement, soon after the birth of their son, she became possessive of the child and they started having frequent fights. Soon after, the couple separated and they have not been in touch for the past two years,” said an officer.
“Their divorce proceedings were underway. A recent order by a Bengaluru family court had directed that the father should get custody of the child every Sunday. For the past five weeks, she did not allow her son to visit his father. We believe she had come to Goa on the weekend to ensure that another week passes,” said the officer.
The woman insisted throughout interrogation that she did not murder her son. The officer stated, “She claimed her son was asleep and she did not know how he died.”
She was quiet the entire way from Goa to Bengaluru, the taxi driver reported to the police. The officer stated, “When he pointed out that her suitcase was unusually heavy, she said it’s because of clothes and extra luggage,” adding that she had previously travelled to Goa with her kid.
