Mumbai: Distressed by Illness and Poverty, Woman Kills Her 6-Month-Old Baby in Govandi

In a heart-wrenching incident that has shaken the Govandi area of Mumbai, a 43-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly killing her six-month-old baby boy at her residence in Baiganwadi, Shivaji Nagar. The incident, which unfolded on Thursday afternoon, highlights the tragic intersection of mental distress, illness, and poverty.

According to police sources, the woman reportedly smothered her infant son with a pillow and then strangled him while he lay asleep in a cradle. The crime came to light in an unexpected manner after the woman allegedly attacked another woman with a knife near a garment factory on PL Lokhande Marg in Chembur.

The Tilak Nagar Police’s Nirbhaya Squad, led by Police Inspector Manisha Kulkarni, responded swiftly to the knife attack and took both women into custody. During interrogation, the accused revealed she had attacked the woman without any provocation. In a shocking turn, she also confessed to killing her child earlier that day.

The Tilak Nagar Police immediately informed their counterparts in Shivaji Nagar, who rushed to the woman’s residence. There, they discovered the lifeless body of the infant exactly as described by the accused. The child’s body was sent to Rajawadi Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Preliminary investigations paint a distressing picture. The woman had reportedly been married three times, but each marriage ended in abandonment. She later entered into a relationship with another man, who disappeared after learning of her pregnancy. Six months ago, she gave birth to the child.

Soon after, both mother and child were diagnosed with a serious illness. With mounting medical expenses and no financial or emotional support, the woman allegedly decided to end both her son’s life and her own. However, while she killed the child, she did not follow through on taking her own life.

Shivaji Nagar Police have registered a case of murder and are continuing their investigation. Authorities are also likely to assess the woman’s mental state as part of the legal process.