BENGALURU: Avalahalli police have arrested Shekhappa (22) for allegedly murdering his 11-month-old daughter after an investigation found that her death was not accidental. Police are searching for his wife, who has also been named as an accused. The incident took place on June 9 at Kithaganur in east Bengaluru. The child was the couple’s second daughter. The accused, who worked as a tractor driver, claimed that the baby died after falling from a cot while her mother, Vijayalakshmi, fell asleep while breastfeeding her. Police initially registered an unnatural death case under Section 194 of the BNSS. During the investigation, police found injuries that were inconsistent with a fall from a two-foot-high cot. The post-mortem reported extensive internal injuries, excessive bleeding and respiratory failure. Police later booked both parents under Sections 103(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Shekhappa, a native of Yadgir district, has been arrested, while Vijayalakshmi remains absconding.
