Bengaluru woman accused of drowning twin babies, charged with murder

A 40-year-old Bengaluru woman was booked on murder charges on Tuesday after she allegedly drowned her three-month-old twin daughters before attempting to die by suicide at their residence, the police said. The incident came to light on Tuesday afternoon when Ramalingappa, 50, returned to his house in Vajarahalli and found the door of a room locked from inside.

After opening it, he allegedly found his wife, Umadevi, trying to die by suicide. Their daughters were found dead in the same room. Umadevi was rescued and taken to Shankar Hospital for treatment. Doctors who examined the babies reportedly suspected they had died due to drowning.

Based on Ramalingappa's complaint, the Talaghattapura police registered a murder case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The police suspect that Umadevi drowned the children before allegedly trying to die by suicide. According to Ramalingappa’s complaint, the family had been living in BCC-HS Layout for around 10 years.

The couple, who did not have children, had undergone IVF treatment, following which Umadevi gave birth to twin girls on May 5. The complaint states that around one-and-a-half months after the delivery, Umadevi began showing disinterest in caring for the children and repeatedly said they should be sent to an ashram.

Her family also noticed alleged changes in her behaviour. She was subsequently taken for psychiatric treatment to NIMHANS and a facility in Raghuvanahalli. Doctors told the family that her behaviour could be linked to postpartum depression and hormonal changes, as per the FIR.