Alappuzha: In the shocking murder of a six-day-old infant at Cherthala, Asha Manoj (35), the mother who is booked in the case, claimed innocence and told police that she only asked her friend Ratheesh to leave the baby in an orphanage. During the interrogation, the accused told police that she was forced to take the decision as her husband Manoj denied paternity of the baby boy. Manoj also asked Asha not to enter the house with the baby.

According to police, Ratheesh (38), another accused in the case, strangled the child to death and buried the body. In his statement to the police, Ratheesh confessed that he had kept the child's body in his washroom and planned to cremate it. The infant's body was found buried on the premises of Ratheesh's residence. Investigations revealed that Asha, a married woman with two children, gave birth to a baby boy through a cesarean section at a private hospital in Cherthala on August 26. 

Ratheesh, who is also married with one child, accompanied her to the hospital under the name Manoj. They were discharged from the hospital on August 31 at around 11 am, and the baby was healthy until then. According to reports, Ratheesh accompanied Asha to the hospital, impersonating her husband. As per the woman's statement, Ratheesh took the baby in a carry bag after convincing her that he would leave the infant in an orphanage. 

 The shocking murder came to light following the intervention of ASHA workers. Earlier, the accused woman argued that she had sold the baby to a couple in Thripunithura. However, further investigation revealed that the infant was murdered a few days after birth.

The post-mortem of the baby will be held on Tuesday. Police slapped charges including murder, concealing of birth and destruction of evidence against the accused.