Chennai: Accused of killing his four-day-old daughter, IT engineer S Niranjan Kumar, 29, on Saturday said he was insane, but the authorities here were examining the claim.
"The accused has claimed to be insane and we are verifying this through a series of tests. If true, we will recommend altering the section under which he is charged for murder. Otherwise, police will be free to try him for infanticide," a psychiatrist examining Kumar at the government-run mental hospital in Kilpauk locality said.
According to police sources, Kumar allegedly dumped his infant daughter into a well and admitted to murder when he was caught red-handed by neighbours, relatives and the public Friday.
"Kumar said he flung the child into the well because he suspected she would bring ill-luck to him. He had even asked his wife Sangeetha to abort the pregnancy. It is strange how a well educated man believes in such matters," Deputy Commissioner of Police M T Ganeshamurthy said.
According to family sources, Kumar, the youngest of three siblings, is a gold medallist software professional employed in Bangalore.
After his marriage with Sangeetha, a 22-year-old software professional, in February last year, Kumar had reportedly told her he did not want a child for four years.
Sangeetha moved from Bangalore to her parents' home here for the delivery. Kumar followed her, arrived here and allegedly dumped the child in a well in his in-laws' home after drugging his wife.
Sangeetha's father S Balasubramanian said he suspected Kumar had become a drug addict.
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