The accused told the police that they had been in a relationship for a few years, but were facing opposition from their families due to their inter-faith relationship.
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Belagavi police arrested a man and a woman on the charge of killing their infant by dumping the body in a roadside bush in Ambadgatti village near Kittur in Belagavi district of Karnataka. The body was found on March 23.
Mahabaleshwar Kaloji, 31, and Simran Maulasab, 22, were arrested on March 24.
Police said that Kaloji packed the premature baby born out of wedlock in a plastic bag, which he discarded in a roadside bush. Police suspect that the bag fell on a stone in the bush, resulting in the baby dying of a head injury.
The accused told the police that they had been in a relationship for a few years, but were facing opposition from their families due to their inter-faith relationship. A few months ago, the woman learnt that she was pregnant, but did not go to a doctor. The couple, that lived in different homes, realised that the baby was due for a pre-mature delivery. Simran delivered the baby at home and tried to dispose it off along with Kaloji.
They have been charged with murder and concealing child birth. The FIR mentions Section 94 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), for the crime of concealing a child’s birth by secretly disposing of the dead body, whether the child died before, during, or after birth, punishable with imprisonment up to two years, a fine, or both, and Section 103 that defines the punishment for murder. It also covers cases where murder is committed by a group of people, Section 238 (destruction of evidence) and BNS 3(5) for joint criminal liability.
A case has been registered in Kittur police station.
Published – March 24, 2025 01:00 pm IST
