Vellore, September 8: A couple from Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district has been arrested for allegedly poisoning and burying their nine-day-old daughter in a shocking case of female infanticide. The parents, C Jeeva and J Diana, reportedly took the extreme step because they did not want a second girl. The couple already has a two-year-old daughter and feared the financial burden of raising another girl.

India Today reported that the baby was born on August 27 at a primary healthcare centre, and Diana was later transferred to a government hospital in Vellore due to childbirth complications. After being discharged and returning home, the couple allegedly fed their newborn daughter poisonous milk. When the baby died, they buried her body in their backyard without informing any relatives. Delhi Shocker: ‘Unhappy’ With Birth of Twin Girls, Family Kills and Buries Both Infants; Case Registered.

On September 4, Diana contacted her father, Saravanan, claiming the baby had died after being found unconscious. Suspecting foul play, Saravanan filed a complaint with the local police. Investigators exhumed the baby's body on September 5, in the presence of the District Collector, and sent it for postmortem to determine the exact cause of death. Infanticide in Delhi: Woman Who Wanted Son Kills Infant Daughter by Slitting Her Throat in Mundka.

The couple had fled their home before police arrived. However, special teams were deployed by the Vellore police, leading to the arrest of Jeeva and Diana. Both have since been remanded to judicial custody, and the investigation is ongoing.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 08, 2024 05:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).