MADURAI: A woman has been arrested in Madurai for allegedly killing her newborn grandchild. Maheshwari, who has been booked by the police on murder charges, hails from Tenkasi.

She and her 17-year-old daughter eked out a living selling murukku. Later, they hired an extra hand, Veeramani, to help them with their business. Veeramani, who hails from Pudukottai, is said to have had an affair with the young girl. According to police, he stopped working with them soon after the girl discovered she was pregnant, which Maheshwari found out much later.

When they considered abortion, doctors told them that the foetus was older than the stipulated period. Fearing humiliation, Maheshwari brought her daughter from Tenkasi to Sellur in Madurai for delivery. The girl was admitted to Government Rajaji Hospital where she delivered a healthy baby on February 26, according to the police. On February 28, police recovered the infant's body from a sewage canal next to Sri Meenakshi Government Arts College for Women.

"There was a crack in the infant's skull, which was found in the postmortem. Maheshwari could have thrown the infant down the canal, as a result of which the skull broke. Or, she may have killed the child and disposed the body in the canal," say police.

They are investigating the woman for further details. Meanwhile, cops are also searching for Veeramani, who allegedly impregnated a minor girl. He is likely to be booked under the POCSO Act.