Kerala court awards life imprisonment to woman for killing toddler son

The Additional Sessions Court, Taliparamba in Kerala’s Kannur district on Thursday sentenced Saranya of Thayyil to life imprisonment for killing her one-and-a-half-year-old son, Viyan, by throwing him into the sea in February 2020.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the convict and directed that the fine amount be handed over to her husband.

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Earlier on Monday, the court found Saranya guilty of the murder of her son, who she threw into the sea near her house at Thayyil. However, it acquitted the second accused, Nidhin, who was Saranya’s male friend, citing lack of evidence to prove conspiracy, abetment, or instigation.

According to the charge sheet filed by the police in the case before the Kannur First Class Magistrate Court on the 90th day after her arrest, Saranya committed the crime to live a life of comfort with Nidhin, her male friend. Investigators initially suspected the child’s father, Pranav, due to marital discord, his sudden return to home after months of separation, and circumstantial evidence such as his missing footwear. Statements from relatives and locals also pointed towards him in the early stages.

However, scientific evidence, including traces of saltwater found on Saranya’s clothes and postmortem findings that confirmed death due to severe head injuries caused by impact with rocks, shifted suspicion to the mother. After two days of sustained interrogation, Saranya confessed to the crime.

47 witnesses were examined in the case. The Taliparamba court delivered its verdict after a months-long trial. During the trial, Saranya attempted suicide in Kozhikode.