Alappuzha: In a shocking turn of events, a woman and her friend were arrested for strangulating a newborn, who had gone missing in Cherthala. The apprehended Asha (35) of Ward 17 at Pallippuram panchayat, and her friend, Ratheesh (38), suffocated and buried the baby in the restroom of Ratheesh's house. The police later found the body.

Earlier, Asha claimed the baby was handed over to a couple in Tripunithura. She later changed her story, stating that the baby was abandoned at Ammathottil (cradle) in Ernakulam. In a detailed interrogation, both statements were found to be false, and the murder was revealed.

An Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) worker reported to the police that Asha's newborn was missing. Asha gave birth to a baby boy at a private hospital in Cherthala and returned home on Saturday.

When the ASHA workers visited her home, they could not find the baby. Upon enquiring, Asha said she handed the child to a childless couple in Tripunithura. Following this, the ASHA workers informed the police, who registered a case.

The police investigation led them to conclude that the baby was murdered. After taking a statement from the mother, the police took her friend Ratheesh into custody. During questioning, he confessed to the crime. Asha was admitted to the hospital on August 25, and the baby was delivered through caesarean section on August 26.

Although she was discharged on August 30, she did not leave because of financial constraints, and she finally went on August 31. It is reported that her husband did not visit her during the hospital stay, and she was cared for by someone else. The woman also has two other children.