Panaji: In a disturbing turn of events, Goa police discovered two empty bottles of cough syrup in the room where the CEO of a startup allegedly murdered her four-year-old son, raising suspicions of a premeditated act, according to authorities on Wednesday.
Post-mortem results indicate the child was smothered to death, likely with a cloth or pillow, authorities reported.
The accused, identified as Suchana Seth, purportedly committed the crime at her apartment in Candolim, Goa, before transporting the body to Karnataka in a taxi, officials disclosed.
Following her arrest in Chitradurga, Karnataka, on Monday night, Seth was brought back to Goa on Tuesday for further investigation.
"At the service apartment, we found two empty cough syrup bottles—one large and another small. The post-mortem indicates the possibility that the child might have been smothered, showing no signs of struggle," a senior police officer explained.
Investigators suspect Seth may have administered a potent dose of cough syrup to the child before ending his life. The discovery of her request for a small bottle and the presence of a larger one suggests premeditation.
"We're exploring this as a pre-planned murder," the official stated.
During interrogation, Seth denied involvement, claiming the child was already deceased when she woke. However, authorities remain skeptical, citing an estranged relationship between Seth and her husband as a potential motive.
Seth checked into the service apartment on January 6 and departed for Bengaluru on January 8 via taxi. A court in Mapusa, Goa, remanded her in police custody for six days following her arrest.
The victim's father, Venkat Raman, who was in Jakarta, arrived in Hiriyur, Chitradurga, on Tuesday night to claim his son's body after postmortem.
Dr. Kumar Naik of Hiriyur Taluk Hospital stated, "The child died due to strangulation. It appears a cloth or pillow was used; the rigor mortis had subsided."
Seth, identified as the CEO of 'The Mindful AI Lab,' holds expertise in AI ethics and data science, boasting over 12 years of experience mentoring data science teams and implementing machine learning solutions, as per her LinkedIn profile.
—Input from Agencies
