18-Day-Old Baby Dies After Mother Allegedly Throws Her Into River Over Fight With Husband

An 18-day-old baby died Friday after her mother allegedly threw her into a river following a fight with her husband. The incident took place in the western Indian state of Gujarat, local media reported.

The accused woman, identified as 39-year-old Sahin Shaikh, arrived at the police station to file a case claiming her daughter had been kidnapped. When the cops questioned her, the woman changed her statement several times giving rise to suspicion. On further questioning, she confessed to throwing her infant daughter in the Tapi river located in the city of Surat, The Times of India reported.

The woman told cops that she committed the crime as she was upset following an ongoing dispute with her husband, adding that her parents' refusal to help her resolve the issues had worsened her situation, Gujrati News 18 reported. [Google Translate]

“On Friday, Shaikh went to her parental home to complain against Haroon, but her parents refused to support her. Angry at not being supported, the woman then went the bridge and flung the infant in the river,” the Times of India quoted a police officer as saying.

On Sunday, cops retrieved the body of the infant from the river, following which, an official complaint was filed against the woman. The police have not revealed what charges are being placed against the accused in the case. It also remains unclear if she is currently in police custody.

In a similar incident last month, a 30-year-old man allegedly killed his two children by throwing them into a well. It is said that the man took the step after a fight with his wife. He also attempted to end his own life. The incident took place in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

The father, identified as Murugesan, allegedly pushed his two kids – 5-year-old daughter Rudrakshana and 3-year-old son Sri Kirshna – into a well. He then jumped into the well to kill himself but survived due to the depleted water level. Fire and rescue services along with the police retrieved the children’s bodies and rescued Murugesan.