Kannur infant murder case: Court finds mother Saranya guilty, acquits boyfriend

TALIPARAMBA: A court has found a woman guilty of murdering her one-and-a-half-year-old son by throwing him into the sea in Kannur. The convicted woman is Saranya, a native of Thayyil. The verdict was delivered by Thaliparamba Additional Sessions Court Judge K N Prasanth. Saranya's boyfriend Nidhin, the second accused in the case, has been acquitted.

According to the prosecution, Saranya killed her son to remove the child from her life so that she could live with Nidhin. The incident occurred on February 17, 2020. The body of the infant was later found among rocks near a sea wall. The victim was identified as Viyan, Saranya’s one-and-a-half-year-old son.

Police said Saranya had confessed that after killing the child, she planned to place the blame on her husband, Pranav, and then live safely with her lover. Saranya was arrested, and the police filed the charge sheet 90 days later. The charge sheet alleged that the lover was involved in abetment and conspiracy, though the court later acquitted him.

As part of the investigation, Saranya’s clothes, bed sheets from the house, and other materials were sent for forensic examination. Investigators concluded that she had planned to kill the child by throwing him into the sea. Forensic tests on her clothes detected traces of salt. However, Saranya did not initially admit to the crime during questioning.

Investigators said Saranya waited for an opportunity to carry out the murder. Pranav, who had strained relations with Saranya’s father, reportedly visited the house only on days when his father-in-law went fishing. Police said Saranya chose one such night to commit the crime.

According to the prosecution, after her husband fell asleep, Saranya took the child to the beach. When the child began crying, she covered his mouth with her hands. She initially attempted to throw him into the sea but feared the body might wash back ashore. She then smashed the child’s head against the sea wall, killing him. The post-mortem report confirmed that death was caused by a head injury.

The following morning, Pranav filed a complaint with the Kannur City Police stating that the child, who had been sleeping at home, was missing. Locals later found the body among rocks along the Thayyil beach road. The body was found lying face down, with injuries to the forehead and hand. From the beginning, investigators believed that a child sleeping with his parents could not have gone missing on his own.

During the investigation, Saranya accused her husband of committing the murder, while Pranav told police that Saranya may have been responsible. These conflicting statements initially confused investigators. However, inconsistencies in Saranya’s statements eventually led the police to identify her as the accused.