Thiruvananthapuram: The 36-day-old baby boy who was found dead in a well in Pothencode was killed by his mother, confirmed police. Sreedev, son of Surita and Saji, was discovered dead in the well located near the couple's residence at Manjamala in Pothencode here in the wee hours of Wednesday.

Police reported Surita's confession, stating that she killed her son due to the family's financial struggles, which even obstructed Sreedev's 'noolukettu' ceremony. 

According to the Police, Surita said that her child was diagnosed with kidney disease and the family lacked the means for further treatment or proper upbringing of Sreedev. The couple has an older child as well. Raising two children in a deteriorated financial condition added motivation for the crime, Surita confessed.

While committing the act, Surita believed in creating an impression of an outsider who entered the house through the back door and took the child away, the police added.

Sridev, who was sleeping alongside his mother, went missing around 2 am on Wednesday. The mother's frantic cries alerted the neighbourhood, who informed the police about the incident. 

In the course of the police investigation, the infant's towel was discovered near the well. On probing further, it was found that the baby had fallen into the well.

Upon the arrival of the fire brigade, the baby was retrieved from the well, but unfortunately, he had already succumbed. The child's father was absent from home during the incident.