Mother held on charge of killing two children in Palakkad

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The mother of two children, who were found dead in a water tank at their rented house at Menonpara, near Kozhinjampara, here, was arrested on charges of murder, the police said.

Nivedya, 33, admitted to killing her children, Jennifer Juliet, 5, and Robin Christopher, 3, during questioning, the police said.

The police registered a murder case, recorded her statement and produced her before a magistrate on Wednesday. She was remanded in judicial custody.

The children of John Kumar and Nivedya from Vadakarapathy, Pazhaniyarpalayam Manalkad, were found in a concrete water tank in the bathroom of their rented house at Koorankad on Tuesday.

The incident was initially treated as an accident. Nivedya had told the police that the children were playing inside the house while she was working in the kitchen. When she did not hear them for some time, she searched for them and found them in the tank. The children were taken to Government District Hospital, Palakkad, but could not be saved.

The tank, about three feet high, was used to store water. The police initially suspected that the children had fallen into it while playing. The family, however, raised doubts about the circumstances. A paternal aunt and other relatives questioned how both children could have ended up in the tank at the same time. They also told police that the children knew how to swim and used to play in the tank.

Nivedya initially denied the allegations but later confessed, the police said. According to her statement, she first drowned Jennifer while the child was bathing and then drowned Robin. The police said Nivedya told them that she wanted to continue her studies and pursue modelling and felt that having children prevented her from living independently.

She also referred to family problems and frequent quarrels with her husband John Kumar, a firewood cutter. “The reason behind the killings and the circumstances in which they were carried out will become clear only after further questioning,” Dy.SP M. Sasidharan said. The post-mortem examination found no other injuries or signs of physical assault. The report said the children died after water entered their lungs.

The family had moved into the rented house about two months ago. The police are continuing the investigation.

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