A grandmother in Barkhedi village of Seoni Malwa in Narmadapuram district in Madhya Pradesh strangled her four-month-old granddaughter because she longed for a grandson, said the police.
The accused, identified as Meenabai Ashware, allegedly suffocated the infant, Kritika, by stuffing a towel into her mouth, while the baby was asleep on a swing in the courtyard last Friday.
At the time of the incident, the victim's mother, Meera, was washing dishes behind the house.
After the murder, Meenabai allegedly tied the child's body in a bundle and threw it into a dry well near the house.
When the family noticed that the child is missing, villagers and police began searching the area.
The girl's grandfather, Nirbhay Singh, spotted a suspicious bundle in the well, but Meenabai tried to prevent him from retrieving it, claiming it contained menstrual clothes, said the police.
When police later opened the bundle, a body was discovered. The body was in the well for three days.
The child's father, Shubham Ashware, who was at work when the incident occurred, said, "The bundle was found lying in the well. My mother confessed to it. I don't know whether she acted out of fear or what she did... I only wish that justice will be served."
Station House Officer Rajesh Dubey said the post-mortem was conducted by two doctors on the advice of forensic experts.
"A 24-centimeter-long and 10-centimeter-wide piece of towel was recovered from the child's mouth. The cause of death was suffocation. From the beginning, suspicion was on someone close to the family. After interrogation, the grandmother confessed to the crime. She has been arrested and will be presented in court."
Police confirmed that Meenabai's motive stemmed from her dissatisfaction over the birth of a second granddaughter.
The family already had an elder daughter, and the grandmother repeatedly quarreled about not having a grandson, said the police.
