Death of newborn: couple arrested

The Puthoor police on Monday arrested a couple, Ambily, 24, and Mahesh, 26, in connection with the death of their newborn, whose body was found at a plot near the couple’s home at Karikkal, Pavithreswaram.

According to the police, the couple, parents of a two-year-old boy, did not want another child. When Ambily was pregnant for a second time, they approached a couple of hospitals for abortion. Since the foetus was four months old, doctors refused to abort the baby.

They hid the pregnancy from relatives and took medicines to miscarry, but their plans failed as the baby completed the full term. Ambily delivered the baby at home and within hours they strangled the newborn and buried his body near their home.

The body was brought to the attention of locals when stray dogs dug up the body from its shallow grave. Dogs were seen mauling the disfigured body near Pavithreswaram Mahadeva Temple on Saturday.