Goa murder: Suchana Seth may have fed child cough syrup

Bengaluru: Bengaluru-based startup CEO Suchana Seth, 40, who allegedly killed her four-year-old son at a hotel in Goa is suspected to have smothered him with a pillow or a wire after administering him a “high dose” of cough syrup.

She later purportedly tried to flee with the mortal remains stuffed in a bag on January 8.

The complaint, registered by the manager of the Sol Banyan Grande hotel in north Goa, accessed by DH, states that Suchana called the reception at 4 pm on Sunday and sought two syrup bottles. The investigating officers told DH, “The final investigation report will reveal whether she administered the cough syrup to the child.” Doubts cropped up after two empty cough syrup bottles were found at the site.

The police, who got her six-day custody, told DH that she has been denying that she killed the child and is claiming it was a natural death.

“The autopsy by a government doctor in Chitradurga establishing that the reasons for the death are either smothering or strangulation does not match her claims,” the officer told DH. “A pillow or a wire may have been used,” he said, adding that the time of the death could be 36 hours before the autopsy.

The police said, “Prima facie, it appears she wanted to keep her child away from her estranged husband, but the motive is yet to be determined. Our focus will be on the motive and what was running in her mind.” Interrogation would continue to plug the gaps between her statements and the investigation. The officer added, “She inflected a minor injury on her wrist in an attempt to end her life, but she may not have had the courage to do it.”   

Sources said Suchana refused to give a statement till she got a lawyer. She is said to have refused to speak despite her friends sending a lawyer.