Chikkaballapur: A horrifying incident has come to light in Chelur town of Chikkaballapur district, where a grandmother allegedly killed her own 40-day-old grandson due to deep resentment over her granddaughter’s marriage to a Hindu youth. The accused woman, identified as Mehboobi, has been arrested by Chelur police after forensic evidence confirmed that the infant was suffocated to death. The accused has been remanded to judicial custody.
According to police officials, the shocking incident occurred on December 24, 2025, at the accused’s residence in Chelur town. The baby boy, who was just 40 days old, was living with his mother at her grandmother’s house after childbirth. Initially, the grandmother informed family members that the baby had died due to sudden breathing problems.
Police said Mehboobi told relatives that the infant had developed respiratory complications and died unexpectedly. Believing her version, the family conducted the last rites of the child without suspecting foul play.
However, the infant’s mother later began to doubt the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of her child. According to police sources, she had noticed suspicious behaviour from the grandmother and felt something was not right. Acting on her suspicion, she approached the Chelur police station and lodged a formal complaint seeking a detailed investigation.
Based on the complaint, police launched an inquiry into the case. Investigators then sought permission to exhume the infant’s body for a post-mortem examination. The body was exhumed in the presence of officials and sent for autopsy. Samples were also forwarded to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for further analysis.
The investigation took a dramatic turn when the FSL report revealed that the infant had died due to suffocation and not because of any natural illness. This finding contradicted the grandmother’s earlier claims and pointed toward a deliberate act.
“After receiving the FSL report, it became clear that the child’s death was not natural. The baby had been suffocated. During interrogation, the grandmother gave conflicting statements which strengthened our suspicion about her involvement,” a senior police officer said.
Following sustained questioning, the police arrested Mehboobi and produced her before the court. The court later remanded her to judicial custody.
During interrogation, investigators reportedly discovered that the motive behind the murder was rooted in the grandmother’s anger and hatred toward her granddaughter’s marriage.
Police said the woman’s granddaughter had entered into a love marriage with a Hindu youth against the wishes of the family. The grandmother was reportedly strongly opposed to the inter-religious marriage and had been expressing anger and frustration over the relationship.
“Preliminary investigation indicates that the accused harboured strong resentment towards her granddaughter for marrying a Hindu man. She was unhappy with the marriage and the birth of the child from that relationship,” a police officer involved in the investigation said.
Investigators suspect that Mehboobi suffocated the infant while the baby was sleeping inside the house. After committing the crime, she allegedly tried to conceal the murder by spreading the story that the child had died due to breathing complications.
The incident has shocked residents of Chelur town, with many expressing disbelief that such a brutal act could be committed within a family.
Meanwhile, the infant’s mother is devastated by the loss of her newborn child. After carrying the baby for nine months and nurturing him for just 40 days, she now has to live with the grief of losing her son under such tragic circumstances.
Police officials said the investigation is still underway to determine if anyone else in the family had prior knowledge of the crime or helped conceal it.
Chelur police have registered a case of murder, and further investigation into the shocking incident is continuing.
