6-Month-Old Infant Dies After Being Fed Excess Dosage Of Cough Syrup By Mother

An Indian mother has been accused of brutally killing her own six-month-old infant son by giving him an excess dosage of cough syrup and later dumping his body in a water-filled drum in Thane, Maharashtra, India.

On Thursday, Dec. 23, the accused, identified as Shanta Chavan, reportedly gave an excessive dosage of cough syrup to her six-month-old infant as he was unwell. However, the overdose proved fatal to the infant. The newborn boy died later that day. Chavan allegedly proceeded to dump the infant's body in a water-filled drum before approaching police officers and claiming that her child had gone missing, the Times Of India reported.

“Based on our initial investigation, we have found out that Chavan gave an excessive dosage of cough syrup to her infant son on Thursday as he was unwell and coughing frequently We believe this led to his death,” said Deputy Police Commissioner Avinash Ambure.

After Chavan reported her child's disappearance, law enforcement registered a case of kidnapping and launched search operations. The officers reviewed CCTV surveillance footage from the neighborhood but did not find anything suspicious.

After subsequently searching the vicinity of Chavan's home, the authorities discovered the infant's body floating in a plastic water-filled drum near the family’s residence on Christmas morning, Saturday, Dec. 25. The infant was quickly rushed to a hospital, but doctors confirmed that the child was already dead before he was transported to the facility.

After the officers questioned the infant's family members and neighbors, they came to know that the baby was ill and that the newborn was under Chavan's supervision. During her interrogation, Chavan allegedly faltered several times before finally admitting to her role in her child's death.

“The woman told us she was scared of being reprimanded by her family after the baby fell lifeless after consuming the syrup and so she cooked up the story. We suspected something amiss, and she admitted to her crime during our interrogation,’’ said a police official.

Following this, Chavan was arrested for charges of murder and destroying evidence.

The officer added that they are investigating the case further to know the motive behind the murder.

Chavan reportedly lived with her husband, a laborer by profession, and their three children, including the deceased in the Mahatma Phule slums in Kalwa, Maharashtra, India.