AHMEDABAD, APRIL 9 — A heart-wrenching tragedy has emerged from the Meghaninagar area of Ahmedabad, where police have arrested a 22-year-old mother for allegedly killing her three-month-old infant by drowning him in an underground water tank.
Karishma Baghel was taken into custody late Monday night after a two-day search operation culminated in the discovery of her baby’s lifeless body floating inside the tank located within their residential premises.
The case initially appeared to be a case of accidental disappearance, but subsequent investigation, postmortem results, and inconsistencies in the mother’s statements led police to suspect and ultimately confirm foul play.
According to D B Basiya, the senior police inspector heading the case, the child’s cause of death was confirmed as drowning, and the possibility of an accident was ruled out due to the secure structure of the tank, which was covered with a heavy iron manhole.
“Karishma claimed she left the baby to use the bathroom and returned to find him missing, but her account didn’t align with the evidence,” said Basiya.
Further interrogation revealed a chilling confession — Karishma admitted she was overwhelmed by the child’s non-stop crying on Saturday morning. Unable to calm him, she allegedly took the infant and placed him inside the tank, ending his life.
The incident came to light after Karishma’s husband, Dilip Baghel, raised an alarm around 11am on Saturday, reporting the child as missing. Dilip, who had been asleep during the time of the incident, told police that his wife and mother were caring for the baby.
A massive search operation was immediately launched. Neighbours joined in, CCTV footage was scoured, and local announcements were made to locate the missing infant.
In her initial account to police, Karishma stated that she had fed the child, and after he continued to cry, she left him for a moment to use the bathroom. Upon returning, she claimed he had disappeared.
However, police began noticing troubling gaps in her statement. “She was visibly nervous, avoided eye contact, and gave contradictory versions of the events,” noted one officer involved in the investigation.
The turning point came when police, during a thorough sweep of the home, opened the manhole of the underground tank and found the baby’s body inside.
Postmortem results confirmed that the cause of death was drowning and not due to any natural or accidental reasons.
Adding to the suspicion was a disturbing detail noted by officers — a day before the incident, the infant was found at the bottom of a staircase while the rest of the family was upstairs. This earlier event had not been reported by the family and is now being considered as a potential indicator of prior neglect or harm.
Following confirmation of the cause of death, police registered a case of murder and furnishing false information against Karishma.
The complaint was officially filed by PSI J B Trivedi, and legal proceedings have begun.
Investigators are also working to evaluate Karishma’s mental state and whether she was suffering from postpartum depression — a serious but often overlooked condition affecting new mothers.
Family members are said to be in deep shock. Neighbours who had joined the search expressed disbelief over the revelation, with some recalling that Karishma had been seen as a quiet, reserved woman.
Police sources said Karishma had experienced health complications during her pregnancy and had delivered the baby via surgery. Her emotional and physical strain may have contributed to her mental breakdown, though that will be assessed by professionals.
Karishma remains in custody and is being questioned further as police build their case.
The tragic case has sparked conversations about maternal mental health, with activists urging authorities to ensure psychological support for postpartum women.
As Meghaninagar mourns the loss of a child, authorities are now urging vigilance in households and asking communities to watch for signs of distress in new mothers to prevent such unthinkable tragedies in the future.
