Kolkata: Anewborn child was allegedly killed by her mother at Sukanta Pally in Haridevpur on the southern fringes of the city.
Police of Haridevpur have already arrested the woman, Manoara Bibi, on charges of killing her own child soon after the body was recovered wrapped in a piece of plastic from her residence at 146/1, Mahatma Gandhi Road.
According to police sources, the neighbours had heard cries of a child on Tuesday night and when some of them went to see the newborn out of curiosity, Manoara told them that she had not given birth as yet.
A woman from the adjacent house again visited her residence on Wednesday evening after the celebration of Id- Ul- Zuha and found something unusual in her behavior.
"When I told her that I had heard a baby's crying last (Tuesday) night, she hurled abuses at me and behaved rudely emphasizing that she had not given birth to anyone. We informed the police and a team from the police station rushed to the spot. They started questioning her. Although the mother denied initially, she confessed her crime. She narrated the incident of killing the child and putting it under the bed," the woman said.
The police removed the body and an autopsy was conducted at MR Bangur Hospital on Thursday. As per preliminary investigation, the child was murdered sometime on Tuesday evening. According to locals, the woman's husband Sheikh Hannan works in another state and comes home once in a month.
The couple has two children. They alleged that the woman was involved in extra marital relationship and that led to the murder. "We are trying to find out the motive behind the act. It can be due to poverty or family discord. We will interrogate Manoara's husband and other family members for further leads," an investigating officer said.