Christy, the 29-year-old woman held for the alleged murder of her one-year-old daughter, Evana, may have slit the child's throat while she was sleeping, and she kept the kitchen knife ready, according to police. Thiruvananthapuram Rural police probing the case said that it seemed like a planned murder and the accused secured the knife before going to the bedroom for her usual afternoon nap with the child.

Christy also allegedly attempted suicide by consuming an overdose of paracetamol tablets after the killing. The incident occurred between 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm at Moolaman in Pottayil, Vilavoorkkal, on Thursday. The child was later rushed to hospital but succumbed to her injuries.

Christy lived with her husband Abhijith, a medical representative, his mother Geli, grandmother Neshamma and grandmother’s sister Jaseentha. Evana was the couple’s only child.

Family members said Christy used to sleep with Evana during the afternoon every day. On Thursday, when she did not come out of the bedroom at the usual time, the family became suspicious.

“When the incident happened, Abhijith was away at work while the others were at home. They thought Christy was sleeping inside the bedroom with the child. There was no sound or anything to raise suspicion. The door was locked from inside. When she did not open it after the usual time, our grandmother’s sister started knocking. Christy did not respond initially and opened the door only after repeated knocking,” said Ranjith, Abhijith’s brother, who lives in Thiruvallam.

Jaseentha then asked Christy about the child and entered the room to check on her. She found Evana lying in a pool of blood and immediately carried her outside. With the help of neighbours, the child was taken to the nearby Vilavoorkkal Primary Health Centre and later shifted by ambulance to SAT Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. Doctors at the hospital examined the child and declared that she had succumbed to her injuries at around 5.52 pm, according to the First Information Report (FIR).

Police subsequently took Christy into custody from the house. She was in a weak condition after consuming an overdose of paracetamol tablets but was conscious when taken into custody.

“She was initially taken to Malayinkeezhu police station. Her condition later deteriorated. When the police realised that she had consumed the tablets, she was immediately shifted to Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital,” said Kattakkada DySP B Gopakumar.

“Her physical condition is still unstable. She weighs only 30 kg, and the effect of the drug has further complicated her condition. She is undergoing treatment. We can conduct detailed questioning only after her condition improves. However, from her initial statements, it is understood that there were issues in the family concerning the paternity of the child,” the officer added. “She may have kept the knife with her before going to sleep with Evana and had planned to end her own life after killing the child,” he said.

Meanwhile, Vilavoorkkal panchayat member and ASHA worker Elsa J said she had not noticed anything unusual in Christy’s behaviour towards Evana in recent times. “I had been in contact with her since her pregnancy. She spent most of her pregnancy at her parental home in Kunnukuzhi and returned to Abhijith’s house only six months after the delivery,” Elsa said.

“She used to take the child for vaccinations by herself. I have rarely seen Abhijith accompanying them, and I had not seen much of him before the incident. As I understand it, he used to leave for work around 8 am and return only around 7 pm. During the day, Christy and Abhijith’s family members would be at home,” she added.

Evana’s postmortem examination was conducted at the Government Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. The house has been cordoned off, and forensic experts are scheduled to conduct a detailed examination.

Malayinkeezhu police have registered a case against Christy under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for murder. The investigation is underway.