Enraged By Crying, Bihar Woman Slits Six-Month-Old Daughter's Throat

Driven to rage by her six-month-old daughter's incessant crying, a woman in Bihar's Bettiah used a sickle to slit the infant's throat before turning the weapon on herself, according to local police.

The incident occurred on Thursday night at Barka village, under the jurisdiction of the Gopalpur police station in West Champaran district. The infant has been identified as Puja Kumari.

The child's father, Sunil Das, a migrant laborer, was away in Chandigarh at the time. The infant was at home with her mother, Seema Devi, and her paternal grandmother, Saraswati Devi.

According to the police, the grandmother rushed to the room upon hearing screams. She was met with a horrific scene: the six-month-old infant lay on the floor covered in blood, while Seema Devi was attempting to slit her own throat.

Saraswati Devi managed to snatch the sickle from her daughter-in-law's hand and raised an alarm, alerting the neighbours who then informed the authorities.

Gopalpur Station House Officer (SHO) Ankit Kumar reached the spot with a police team shortly after. Police took custody of the infant's body and sent it to a local hospital for a post-mortem examination. Seema Devi was rushed to the hospital, where she received stitches for severe injuries to her neck.

An FIR was registered at the Gopalpur police station on Friday morning based on a formal complaint filed by the grandmother.

The police have recovered the sickle used in the crime. While the woman remains in custody and is undergoing interrogation, preliminary inquiries have raised serious questions regarding her mental health.

SHO Ankit Kumar stated that, prima facie, the woman appears to be mentally disturbed. However, he emphasised that this condition can only be officially confirmed following a detailed investigation and the receipt of formal medical evaluations.