She sang a lullaby to her three-year-old daughter, then took the sleeping child out for a walk near a lake. It all seemed warm and fuzzy until she threw her little daughter into the lake and went on to pretend that she had "suddenly gone missing".
The woman, who had been living in Rajasthan's Ajmer with another man after leaving her husband, was reportedly fed up of her partner taunting her over her daughter from her marriage.
On Tuesday, during a late-night patrol, Head Constable Govind Sharma found a couple on the road and asked what they were doing at that hour. The woman, who identified herself as Anjali, said she had left home with her daughter, but the child suddenly disappeared on the way. They had searched for her all night, but in vain, she claimed.
The police reviewed CCTV footage and found Anjali (also known as Priya), carrying her daughter in her arms and walking around the Ana Sagar Lake in the city. A few hours later, at around 1:30 am, the woman was seen alone, busy on her mobile phone.
The visuals contradicted her version and raised suspicion.
The next morning, on Wednesday, the police found the child's body in the lake. When she was questioned, Anjali reportedly broke down and confessed to throwing her daughter into the artificial lake.
Anjali had carried out the crime single-handedly, the police found. Her live-in partner, Alkesh, was informed about the missing child at 2 am. Anjali alleged that Alkesh used to taunt her about her child and that she acted out of "stress".
Anjali (C) was residing in Ajmer with her live-in partner, Alkesh (L).
Anjali, 28, belongs to Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. After separating from her husband, she moved to Ajmer and started living with her lover. She works as a receptionist at a hotel in Ajmer where Alkesh also works.
The police have arrested Anjali and have registered a case of murder. They are investigating whether Alkesh was involved in the murder of the child in any way.
