Bengaluru man held for murder of 11-month-old daughter; forensic evidence exposes cover-up

A22-year-old adult male was arrested for his involvement in the alleged dispatch of his 11-month-old girl after forensic grounds contradicted her parents’ calculate, police said on Tuesday.Responding to allegations on social media that the parents had been falsely implicated, Saidulu Adavath, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Whitefield Division, said the investigation was built on medical and circumstantial evidence rather than the family’s initial version of events.“The case was registered on the basis of the postmortem findings and circumstantial evidence,” Adavath said.The Avalahalli police arrested the 22-year-old tractor driver on Monday in connection with the June 9 death at Kithaganur village in Bidarahalli hobli on Bengaluru’s eastern outskirts. His wife, who is also under investigation, has not been traced despite police notices directing her to appear for questioning. She is believed to be with the couple’s one-and-a-half-year-old son, police said.Also Read: UP infant raped by 12-year-old relative; accused was drunk, watched porn before crimeDetails of the investigationThe investigation began as an Unnatural Death Report after the parents told police that the infant had slipped from a cot while being breastfed and suffered fatal injuries. The body was sent for a postmortem examination.According to investigators, the medical report, received on June 22, found multiple external injuries, damage to internal organs and concluded that the child died of excessive bleeding and respiratory failure.Also Read | Kicked, punched, hit with ladle: Boy murdered by mom’s ‘lover’Murder case registeredThe findings led police to register a murder case.“The autopsy found several external injuries along with trauma to the infant’s internal organs. During the investigation, we questioned both parents, but neither explained how the child sustained those injuries. The father’s arrest was made after we examined the medical evidence, statements from eyewitnesses and other circumstantial material collected during the probe,” the investigating officer said.Police allege that the fatal assault took place during a heated argument between the couple inside a shed between 2pm and 3pm on June 9.Investigators said the dispute began after the man returned home and asked his wife to serve him food. As the argument escalated, the infant began crying. The mother allegedly kicked the child, after which the father assaulted his wife. During the altercation, police said, the child came between them and the father picked her up and threw her out of the shed. She was later taken to a private hospital, where she was declared dead.“Both, in a fit of rage, allegedly kicked and violently threw the infant to the ground despite knowing that it could lead to the child’s death,” an officer said.Another investigating officer said the inquiry pointed to deliberate violence rather than an accident.“The investigation indicated that the child’s death could be because of such acts and the infant was intentionally killed,” the officer said.Police said witness statements described frequent quarrels between the couple.