Representative image of an infant.
Credits: Reuters File Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: A 28-year-old woman, allegedly suffering from mental depression due to her family's financial struggles, killed her 36-day-old son on Wednesday by throwing him into a well in a village in Kerala, police said here.
The incident occurred in a village under the limits of the Pothencode police station in Thiruvananthapuram district in the small hours of Wednesday.
Upon suspicion of the mother's involvement in the infant's death, the police took her into custody. During interrogation, she confessed to the crime, and her arrest has been recorded, a police officer said.
The woman explained to investigators that she committed the act out of concern for her family's inadequate income to support her children.
She already has a five-year-old son.
According to the police, the woman said that her husband lacked regular employment, and the family was struggling to make ends meet.
The additional financial strain of raising another child compelled her to take this drastic step.
The police officer said that the woman appeared to be mentally unstable.
The incident came to light when the baby, who was sleeping next to the mother, went missing around 2 am.
Local residents informed the police upon learning of the incident.
The police initiated an investigation and discovered the baby's towel near the well.
They sought the help of the fire force to examine the well where the lifeless body of the just over a month-old baby was found.