Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Jul 4: In a deeply disturbing development from the United States, a 36-year-old Indian-origin pediatrician has been arrested and charged with first-degree murder for allegedly smothering her four-year-old daughter and staging the incident to appear as an accidental drowning.

Neha Gupta, a resident of Oklahoma City and a practicing pediatrician, was taken into custody on Monday by the Miami-Dade authorities in Florida. According to police reports, Gupta and her daughter Aria Talathi were staying at a short-term rental home in El Portal, Florida, where the tragic incident unfolded on June 27.

Emergency services were called to the residence following a 911 report of a possible drowning in a residential pool. The child was found unresponsive and was rushed to the hospital, where she was later declared dead. Gupta reportedly told the police that her daughter had sneaked out of bed during the night and accidentally drowned.

However, investigators soon found inconsistencies in the account. An autopsy revealed no water in the child’s lungs or stomach, effectively ruling out drowning as the cause of death.

Instead, medical examiners noted bruising on the cheeks and cuts within the mouth—injuries consistent with smothering. Authorities concluded that the child had been deceased prior to being placed in the pool, leading them to believe the drowning scene was staged.

According to the arrest affidavit, the motive may be linked to an ongoing custody dispute between Gupta and her ex-husband, Dr Saurabh Talathi. The father reportedly was unaware that his daughter had travelled to Florida.

Following the arrest, Gupta’s legal representative, Richard Cooper, expressed dissatisfaction with the authorities' decision, alleging a rush to judgment. He stated that Gupta had fully cooperated with law enforcement and called the move to arrest her before her daughter’s funeral an “inconceivable” injustice. “She is a grieving mother facing unimaginable tragedy, and now she’s behind bars without bond,” Cooper said.

As investigations continue, the case has sparked shock and sorrow among the Indian-American community, with many calling for a thorough and transparent probe into the heartbreaking incident.