Mom’s friend suffocated newborn to death: Police

Kottayam: The five-day-old baby boy, who was found dead at Pallippuram near Cherthala in Alappuzha district, was asphyxiated to death by Ratheesh K, a friend and relative of the mother, said Alappuzha SP on Tuesday.The newborn's mother, Asha, 35, had handed over the baby to Ratheesh, 39. He took the baby to his house, murdered and buried the child in the house premises.The arrests of Asha and Ratheesh were recorded on Tuesday and they were presented in Cherthala judicial first class magistrate court 1. Both were remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.According to the SP, the timely intervention of the Asha worker in the region helped in exposing the crime. Asha had given birth to the baby at KVM Hospital, Cherthala, on Aug 26. The baby's disappearance was revealed when the Asha worker visited the mother at her home after she was discharged from hospital. Subsequently, Ratheesh exhumed the baby's body and abandoned it in the toilet of his house. Based on the Asha worker's tip-off, police collected details from the hospital and interrogated both Asha and Ratheesh, following which they were taken into custody.The baby's mortal remains were cremated at Alappuzha municipal crematorium on Tuesday.
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