Idukki: In a gruesome incident, a couple from Madhya Pradesh killed their newborn in Kambammettu on Friday.
The pair - Malati and Sadhuram - strangled the baby soon after the birthing, police said.
The baby boy was born to Malati on May 7. The couple, residing at Kambammettu are from Mandal in Madhya Pradesh.
Police took Sadhuram into custody in connection with the incident. Malati is undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
According to the police, the baby was born ahead of their wedding scheduled for next month. Sadhuram told the police that they killed the baby as they feared expulsion from their respective families for having had the baby before the wedding.
After killing the newborn, the couple told local residents and police that the baby died during childbirth.
The crime
Sadhuram has been doing odd jobs in the Kambammettu area for the past three years. Malati arrived here only recently. According to reports, not many people knew about her pregnancy.
The pair lived near the house of Akhlaq, a co-worker, in Shantipuram. On the day of the murder, they used the washroom at Akhlaq's residence for the baby's birthing. Soon after committing the crime, the couple brought the child's body back home.
When the owner of their house visited the pair the next morning to fetch them for work, he found them in tears. They told the houseowner the child was motionless.
A nurse from the nearby primary health centre was summoned immediately. After the nurse confirmed the child's death, the body was sent to Idukki Medical College for autopsy.
The doctor who conducted the autopsy discovered that the newborn was strangled to death. The story unfolded during the investigation that followed.
The couple has been charged with murder and attempt to destroy evidence. Later, the baby was buried in Idukki.
