Daijiworld Media Network – Puttur (SP)
Puttur, Apr 8: Dakshina Kannada district superintendent of police (SP), Labhu Ram, told the reporters here on Thursday April 7, that Shekhar Harikant (28), and his wife, Nagaratna (22) from Aghanashi village in Kumta taluk, had killed their own baby that was a month old. The couple, which was picked by the policemen earlier for questioning, had claimed that the child had died of sickness.
It may be recalled that recovery of the body of an abandoned headless infant in Subrahmanya had created a furore in the village on Monday April 4, prompting auto rickshaw drivers to protest against the police inaction. The couple, whom the drivers had seen carrying a baby initially, and roaming around without it later, had told the policemen during questioning that the child belonged to their relative, and that it had been returned to its parents. Later, they said that the child fell repeatedly sick, and breathed its last during their visit to Subrahmanya, and that therefore, they had cremated the child.
The SP told the press persons that Shekhar and Nagaratna had married in October 2010, and that Nagaratna was three months pregnant out of their love affair, when their marriage took place. On March 5, Nagaratna gave birth to a female child, but the fact that the child was born within five months of marriage had made them an object of ridicule in their village. Therefore, they brought the child to Subrahmanya on March 31, and buried it under a bush near Kumaradhara River’s bathing bay, the SP said.
Labhu Ram said that Shekhar Harikant serves Indian Army, and is presently posted in Bangalore. He said that the couple have confessed to the crime, and their statement has been video graphed. He disclosed that the pieces of child’s bones have been sent for DNA testing to prove its identity.
He explained that the defence department will be informed about the filing of murder case against Shekhar Harikant, and that a charge sheet against the couple will be filed in the sessions court in Mangalore.