Tamil Nadu: Baby’s body exhumed after father files complaint

MADURAI: Melavalavu police have exhumed the body of a 17-day-old baby boy which died under unexplained circumstances, after his father raised suspicions on his death and lodged a complaint. Complainant A Sakthi of Boothamangalam Colony said the body was buried without informing the police and sought an inquiry into the death.
In his complaint, he stated that he got married to a woman from Sekkipatti five years ago. In 2019, he went abroad for work to support his family, leaving his wife in her parents’ house. He returned on October 15, 2020 and brought his wife to his house on December 1. He said the woman gave birth to a baby boy in the fourth week of June.
Suspecting his wife’s fidelity, Sakthi has been picking up quarrels with her ever since. After the child was born, he raised doubts whether he was its biological father and wanted a DNA test to be taken to prove it. Meanwhile, the woman and the child moved to her parents’ house after the child’s birth.
Police said that the child died on Friday night. Though Sakthi was informed, he did not visit the house. While the child’s mother and grandparents buried the body, he approached police seeking an inquiry. A police officer said that a post mortem was conducted on Saturday but no external injury was found. Visceral samples have been sent to a lab, he said.