KOCHI: The accused, who was arrested for drowning a one-and-a-half-year-old child to death at a hotel in Kaloor, stated that he committed the crime following a dispute over the paternity of the child. Police had arrested Palluruthy native John Binoy Dcruz, a friend of the child's grandmother Sipsy, in connection with the incident. The grandmother was released after questioning. One and a half-year-old Nora Maria, daughter of Sajeev and Dixie, was drowned to death on Monday.

The grandmother took the child to the hospital on Monday night by claiming that the child was vomiting. The child was later pronounced dead. However, a post-mortem examination later confirmed that the child was murdered. Sipsy had been living together with John and her son's two children in a hotel room since March 5. The child's mother is working abroad. The father, who was a tile worker, was not going to work after an accident. It is learned that the two children were staying with their grandmother due to family problems.

Some dispute had taken place over the paternity of the child on the day of the murder. It was alleged that John was the father of the child. Following the dispute, John Binoy, in a fit of rage, drowned the child in a bucket of water.

The accused has given a statement to the police in this regard. However, the child's grandmother was not present in the hotel room at the time of the murder. John called Sipsy by around one o'clock and said that the child had vomited and fallen unconscious. Sipsy then rushed the child to the hospital. John had not accompanied Sipsy to the hospital. Upon reaching the hospital, Sipsy repeated what John told her. However, the police registered a case of unnatural death. The subsequent post-mortem revealed that water had entered the child's lungs. With this, it was confirmed that it was a murder.