Mother kills infant with acid, then herself

Surat: A devastating incident in Sarthana has left the city shaken, with a 29-year-old woman and her four-month-old son dying from acid ingestion, in a case that has brought renewed focus on postpartum mental health and family distress.

The apparent murder-suicide occurred at the A-One Heights apartment complex near Yogi Chowk, where Dhara Kotadiya had been staying with her parents for the past six months following childbirth. Originally from Dhari in Amreli district, she had given birth to her son, Rishan, four months ago.

According to preliminary police findings, Dhara had been undergoing treatment for mental health issues for the past few years, and her condition worsened after the delivery. Family members said she had stopped eating for two or three days and appeared to be under severe stress.

Dhara, who married Manish around one-and-a-half years ago, had returned to her parental home for delivery. On Monday evening, she allegedly took her infant son to a ground-floor toilet in the residential complex.

Investigators believe she first made the child drink acid and then ingested it herself. Family members and residents rushed both to hospital after the incident came to light. The infant died during treatment, followed by Dhara.

Police registered a case of accidental death and recorded statements of family members. Preliminary postmortem findings confirmed that both the mother and child had ingested acid.

Further investigation is underway.