Mother arrested for poisoning 18-month-old son to death in Salem

CHENNAI: A 23-year-old woman was arrested in Salem district for allegedly poisoning her 18-month-old son to death after considering the child an obstacle to her plans for a second marriage, according to a Daily Thanthi report.

The accused, Lalitha, from Varagur near Attur, was living separately from her husband, Thirumalai Vasudevan, due to marital differences. Their 18-month-old son had been staying with her, and her elder son, Harsanraj was living with his father.

Lalitha had developed a relationship with another man and was planning to marry him. However, she believed that the child would stand in the way of the marriage.

Police said Lalitha mixed poison in food and fed it to the child. After the boy fell unconscious, she allegedly attempted to portray the incident as a medical emergency and took him to hospital. However, doctors declared the child dead.

How did the truth come to light?

Following the child's death, police launched an inquiry and questioned Lalitha. During the investigation, she allegedly confessed to poisoning the child after viewing him as an obstacle to her future life and proposed marriage.

Based on the findings, police arrested Lalitha and registered a case. 

Further investigation is under way.