Love, betrayal and murder: Three held for killing newborns in Goa

By PTI

BHAWANLPATNA: Two newborns were killed and their bodies buried in Goa allegedly by a 36-year-old man from Odisha, who maintained intimate relationships with two women promising to tie the knot with them, despite being married, the police said on Saturday.

Tripal Naik and the two women – all residents of Odisha’s Kalahandi district – have been arrested on several charges, including murder of the two babies over the past two months, Superintendent of Police Saravana Vivek M told reporters.

The two women, aged 30 and 22, used to work as labourers at the construction site of a building in Goa, where Naik was also an employee, the police said in a statement.

The man apparently told them that he was a bachelor and proposed to keep them as wives, it said.

In June, the 30-year-old woman gave birth to a male child.

Naik, who insisted on delivery of the baby at home, along with the other woman, strangled the newborn to death, according to the police.

When the 22-year-old woman, who was also pregnant, gave birth to a male child the following month, she panicked as they had to return to their village and she was still unmarried, the release stated.

The two then killed the one-day-old child.

Naik had buried both the bodies in a jungle.

Finding no other way, the 30-year-old woman remained silent, the statement said.

After a few days, Naik disclosed that he was married and suggested that the two women go their separate ways, it said.

On July 4, they returned to Kalahandi district, following which Naik left for his village.

Days later, on July 26, Naik visited the 22-year-old’s village and abducted her with the false assurance of marriage, the police said.

The woman’s family members brought her back along with Naik from the Brahamaniguda jungle and informed the Golamunda police station, following which the duo was arrested on July 30, it said.

After interrogation, Naik was taken to Goa, where the police exhumed the dead bodies on August 5 and seized the pickaxe used by the suspect for digging a pit.

The post-mortem was done the next day, the release said.

The 30-year-old woman was arrested on Friday as she remained silent despite knowing everything and helped the accused in disposing of the dead bodies.

A case has been registered under various Indian Penal Code sections, including 302 (murder) and 376 (rape), the police said.