Kannur: The Taliparamba Additional Sessions Court here on Thursday sentenced Saranya Valsaraj (28) to life imprisonment for murdering her one-and-a-half-year-old son by throwing him against a seawall. The court also imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on the sole convict in the case. This amount was ordered to be paid to her husband Pranav who faced allegations of murdering the child. 

The court had found Saranya guilty on January 19 and acquitted her lover, Nithin, the second accused in the case, citing a lack of evidence.

The court found Saranya guilty under Section 302 (murder) of the IPC. However, the prosecution failed to prove charges under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 109 (abetment) against her. Public Prosecutor U Ramesan appeared for the prosecution. Nithin, who had been charged under Sections 302, 120B, and 109 of the IPC, was acquitted after the court held that the circumstantial evidence was insufficient to establish his role in the murder, his counsel said. 

The case
The crime took place in the early hours of February 17, 2020, in Koduvally House of Kannur's Thayyil. Saranya, who was then 22, is accused of taking her sleeping son Viyaan from their house and heading to the nearby beach, where she allegedly threw the child against a seawall, causing fatal head injuries. Investigators later claimed she also choked the child to ensure death.

The child’s body was found on the beach later that day, triggering widespread outrage and an intense police investigation. Initial suspicion fell on the child’s father, Pranav, who had been living separately from Saranya. However, the focus of the investigation shifted after forensic examination detected salt water and sand on Saranya’s clothes, suggesting her presence at the crime scene.

Call records and a series of missed calls from Saranya’s alleged lover, Nithin, during the night of the killing also became key pieces of evidence. Police concluded that the murder was motivated by Saranya’s desire to sever ties with her family and continue her relationship with Nithin, amid ongoing marital disputes with Pranav.

During questioning, both Saranya and Pranav made conflicting allegations against each other, complicating the probe. However, investigators said scientific and circumstantial evidence ultimately established Saranya’s role in the crime.

During the trial proceedings at the Taliparamba court in January 2025, Saranya attempted suicide by consuming poison. She later recovered.