A 5-year-old girl was found dead after she was beaten to death by her mother’s lover. The police on May 21 arrested the mother – 37-year-old Nithya Kamala and her partner – Muthu Pandi in Kattuputhur town of Tamil Nadu.
The investigation revealed that it was Muthu Pandi who allegedly beat the girl, P Lathika Sri in her mother’s presence. P Tamilmaran, DSP of Musiri told The News Minute that physical abuse on the girl took place for two straight days. He also said that the child was beaten with a PVC pipe and coconut tree branch. The girl was taken to the hospital after she fainted on the second day sustaining injuries.
It was the estranged husband, Prasanna, who filed an FIR under section IPC 302 (murder) after taking cognisance of the incident. Prasanna had accused Nithya of murdering their child as the girl was hampering her extramarital relationship. The police are investigating the case based on Prasanna’s accusation against the couple.
Nithya Kamala and Prasanna had applied for divorce a few months back and the judgement is still awaited. Soon after filing the divorce, Nithya Kamala had moved to Kattuputhur with her lover Muthu Pandi to commence a fresh start, said an official. However, Pandi is still married to another woman. Pandi is a PT teacher and Nithya taught computer in a Dindigul College where they had met each other four years ago.
According to police reports, the couple had taken the girl to a primary health care centre in Kattuputhur after she fainted. They were asked to take the girl to Namakkal Government Hospital, where doctors had questioned the reason for the girl’s injuries. The mother had then allegedly told the doctors that she had beaten her for watching too much TV. Understanding the critical condition of the girl, the doctors then recommended the couple to take the girl to the Salem Government Hospital. The girl was declared brought dead at the hospital.
This is the second of such a heinous crime that took place within a month’s gap, where a minor was killed to save an extramarital affair. Last month, a 7-year-old died after battling for nine days, after being assaulted by her mother’s lover in Kerala. The mother’s partner had fractured the child’s skull leading to internal haemorrhage.
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