JOIN USWoman kills 4-yr-old son, self in Bengaluru's Hesaraghatta lake
A 27-year-old woman pushed her four-year-old son into the Hesaraghatta lake, killing him and later herself, drowning in the same lake, on Tuesday.
The deceased are Smitan and his mother Stella Mery, residents of Banasawadi. Stella was employed in a paper production company.
Police said Stella killed her son by holding him under the water, and later immersed herself in it. The incident came to light at around 8.30 pm on June 6 when the police found the bodies in the lake.
The police suspect that Stella took the extreme step at around 1.30 pm. According to a complaint filed by Stella’s mother Mery, Stella and Kiran were married for eight years and Smitan was their only child. Six months ago, Stella befriended a person named Vincent, on Instagram. Vincent who claimed to have divorced his wife proposed marriage to Stella.
Kiran, who learned about Vincent and Stella’s friendship, took Stella to Mery's house in Chikkamagaluru in April and stayed with her for two weeks. The couple left Smitan with Mery and returned to their home. Within a few days, Stella took her son and eloped with Vincent and started living with him in a house in Banasawadi. Mery and Stella stopped speaking with each other over the incident.
Mery told the police that Stella had sent a voice note on WhatsApp to Vincent at around 1 pm on June 6, informing him that she will end her life along with Smitan and apologising to Vincent for not living with him. She went to the lake on her scooter, left her bag with her belongings on the vehicle, and took the extreme step. Vincent forwarded the messages to Kiran who approached the police.
Stella's scooter was found parked near the lake. On Wednesday, Soladevanahalli Police contacted Mery and informed her that the bodies of Stella and Smitan have been found. Along with Kiran, she identified the bodies at the Victoria Hospital mortuary.
A case of murder and unnatural death has been registered. The bodies were handed over to the family after post-mortem. A senior police officer said Stella was distraught over her troubled married life and her relationship with Vincent.
Stella was with Vincent till the morning on Tuesday. Mery told DH that Stella had informed her that she was ready to leave Kiran but would not leave Vincent.