Kerala infant murders: Skeletal remains of infants recovered; Couple arrested
The arrest of Aneesha and Bhavin took place after a dramatic turn of events on Saturday night when Bhavin, 25, in a highly intoxicated state, walked into the Puthukkad police station carrying a bag containing skeletal remains, reportedly of two infants.
Thrissur: In what can be termed as the most shocking case of infant murders in Puthukkad, Thrissur, skeletal remains believed to be of newborn babies were recovered from areas near the residences of two individuals following a search by the police.
The Thrissur police have confirmed that the two infants belong to the couple Bhavin and Anisha. Police have arrested a young live-in couple for allegedly killing their two newborn babies between 2021 and 2024.
According to police, the accused couple became friends through social media in 2020, when Bavish was 20 and Aneesha 18. They had planned to get married, but the plans did not materialise. Police claimed that the first baby was born in November 2021 and that the woman allegedly strangled it to death. The body was then buried near her house. Eight months later, she dug up the pit and handed over a few bones to Bavish, police said. The second child was born in August 2024, and the body was allegedly buried in the same manner, but at a different spot.
The SP said forensic surgeons have examined the bones and prima facie verified them as those of newborns.
The police stated that the bones will be sent for DNA testing.
While one set of remains was found beside Aneesha’s residence, another set was found in a shallow stream beside Bavin’s residence.
During interrogation, Aneesha told the police that she delivered the babies and severed the umbilical cords with the help of video tutorials in YouTube videos. Knowledge she gained from a lab technician course also aided in the acts, police added.
The police added that Aneesha regularly wore loose-fitting clothes to keep her pregnancies. The murders were reportedly committed after discussions with Bavin.
After Aneesha and Bavin confessed to the crime, the investigation team conducted evidence collection at their homes on Sunday night. Based on the findings, the team decided to proceed with further scientific examinations.
The forensic inspection was carried out at their homes under the supervision of the Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO) on Monday. The inspections were led by Thrissur Medical College forensic head Dr K S Unmesh.
Aneesha reportedly buried the baby behind her house, and later handed over the skeletal remains to Bhavin in a handbag for performing rituals, police said.
Their second child was born on August 29, 2024. Aneesha allegedly smothered the baby to death when the newborn cried. Bhavin buried the body near his house in Amballoor, the FIR stated.