The body of a six-month-old baby is expected to be exhumed today in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district for a fresh post-mortem, after the child's father alleged that the infant may not have died of natural causes, but could have been killed.
The allegation has emerged in the context of what police describe as a relationship between the child's mother and another woman.
The child was originally believed to have died while being breastfed earlier this month. A case of unnatural death was registered at the time, and the police did not carry out a post-mortem. The child was later buried on family agricultural land.
According to police sources, the father recently approached authorities after he said he discovered messages, photos and videos indicating the relationship. He has told investigators that he now suspects the baby may have been harmed due to pressure linked to the relationship.
A senior police officer told NDTV that the priority now is to establish the cause of death before deciding on further action. "We want to first confirm if the baby was murdered. If yes, law will take its course. Otherwise, we have nothing to do with their relationship," the officer said. "Initially, a case of unnatural death was registered and the police did not perform a post-mortem," he added.
For now, the police have said they are treating the case as one requiring medical clarity before any criminal conclusion can be drawn.
A medical team is expected to conduct the post-mortem after the exhumation today. The findings are likely to determine the direction of the investigation.
