Bengaluru-based AI data scientist Suchana Seth, accused of murdering her four-year-old son at a hotel in north Goa, had previously filed domestic violence charges against her husband and the child’s father, PR Venkat Raman, during their divorce proceedings in August last year. However, Raman had refuted these allegations in court, with the case scheduled for a hearing on January 29, as per court documents obtained by NDTV.
Amid the couple’s divorce process, they were reportedly engaged in a dispute over visitation rights for the child. According to a senior Goa police official, the child’s death might have resulted from the mother’s distress after a court granted the father visitation every Sunday.
Ms. Seth, 39, was apprehended while attempting to flee with her son’s body stuffed in a large bag. The Goa hotel staff discovered a bloodstained towel in her room and promptly informed the police. Authorities contacted the taxi driver transporting Ms. Seth to Bengaluru and redirected him to a nearby police station.
A preliminary examination of the child’s body indicated suffocation, potentially from being smothered by a pillow. Dr. Kumar Naik from Hiriyur Hospital noted signs of swelling on the child’s face and chest due to suffocation and a bleeding nose. There were no indications of blood loss or signs of a struggle.
Following the tragic incident, Ms. Seth faces murder charges and is in police custody until the upcoming week. She and her son had checked into a Goa service apartment on January 6, with Ms. Seth leaving alone on January 8, claiming her child was staying with a friend. The hotel staff noticed her with a large bag during checkout, raising concerns only after discovering the bloodstained towel in her room.
Ms. Seth, residing in Bengaluru, initially insisted on a taxi to travel back to the city despite suggestions to take a flight, prompting the staff to alert the police after discovering the bloodstained towel in her room.
The tragic incident led to the completion of the child’s funeral rites, and Ms. Seth is currently facing severe charges in connection with the murder while being investigated in police custody.
