TNN
Chennai, Mar 14: Police on Friday arrested a software engineer from Choolaimedu for brutally murdering his four-day-old daughter by throwing her into a well behind his house after a tiff with his wife.
The incident came to light when the baby's mother, Sangeetha (22), also a software engineer, noticed her missing in the early hours of Friday. When she asked her husband, Niranjan Kumar, about the child, he did not give her a proper reply.
Sangeetha panicked and informed her father, Balasubramanian, who runs a shop on Walltax Road. In the meantime, Niranjan was repeatedly questioned by his parents, but he did not reveal any information even to them.
Balasubramanian arrived soon and when refused a reply, started hitting his son-in-law. Finally, Niranjan confessed that he had dropped the baby into the 30-feet-deep well behind the house as he felt she had separated him from Sangeetha for the past nine months. Sangeetha, her parents and even Niranjan's parents were shocked after hearing about the gruesome act. They immediately called the police and fire rescue personnel.
Fire officials reached the place and recovered the body from the well.
Sangeetha and Niranjan were married on February 24, 2008. Sangeetha, a BE graduate, stopped working in a software firm in the city after the marriage. Trouble began after she became pregnant within few months as Niranjan did not want a baby for the next four years. The couple had frequent fights over this. Later, Sangeetha went to her parents' home in Villivakkam and on March 9, a girl was born to her. On learning about this, Niranjan's parents brought back Sangeetha and the baby to their house in Choolaimedu.
"Niranjan had told his wife after the marriage that he did not want a baby soon. However, we did not take it seriously," Mohana, a relative, said.
On Thursday, Niranjan, who was employed in Bangalore, came to Chennai and the couple appeared to have made up.
While she was asleep, Niranjan took the baby from the cradle and dropped her into the well.
Choolaimedu police have registered a case under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and arrested Niranjan. He was remanded in judicial custody after being produced before a magistrate court on Friday.