Kochi newborn death: Police suspect rape, 23-year-old mother in custody

Kochi: Police took a 23-year-old woman into custody in connection with the death of a newborn baby in a residential area in Vidyanagar of Panampilly Nagar on Friday after cops detected blood stains in their apartment. "It is suspected that the woman was raped and impregnated. The parents were unaware of the incident," Police Commissioner Syamsundar said. 

"We are unsure whether it was a case of stillbirth or not. This can be confirmed only after autopsy," he added. Two separate cases -- one on murder and alleged rape -- will be registered.

The woman was taken into custody after police narrowed down the search to the family based on the address written on the courier cover used to wrap the child's body. They also found bloodstain in the apartment's washroom. The family has been residing in the fifth-floor apartment for a long time. 

The body of a newborn child was found on the road by the cleaning workers in the area. CCTV footage from a nearby camera showed the body, wrapped in a courier cover, being discarded from the residential complex. The package was hurled outside at 8.15 am.
Police are investigating the matter.  Out of the 21 flats in the area, three are empty. The security guard also said that he had not found anyone suspicious in the complex.