Suchana Seth Case: Suchana Seth’s questioning, son’s post-mortem reveal he was ‘smothered 36 hours earlier’

He said that the body did not show signs of rigor mortis – stiffening of the limbs of the corpse caused by chemical changes in the muscles – indicating that the alleged murder took place at least 36 hours earlier.

Seth was caught from Karnataka’s Chitradurga district while allegedly trying to flee in a cab with her son’s body stuffed in a bag.

In Goa, a senior police officer involved in her questioning also said the child was smothered, “possibly using a pillow from the service apartment”.

“There was no murder weapon. She allegedly tried to kill herself by slitting her wrists using a pair of scissors. Blood samples have been collected and a DNA test will be done to verify this,” said the officer.

Police said that when they called her while she was heading to Karnataka and asked about the blood in her hotel room, spotted by the cleaning staff, she first claimed it was because she was on her periods.

“She said she would pay for the cleaning. However, our preliminary probe found the bloodstains on the towels and the floor were from the injuries she sustained,” said the officer.

Police said Seth married Venkat Raman in 2010 and the couple had a son in 2019, following which differences cropped up in their marriage. “According to her husband’s statement, soon after the birth of their son, she became possessive of the child and they started having frequent fights. Soon after, the couple separated and they have not been in touch for the past two years,” said an officer.

“Their divorce proceedings were underway. A recent order by a Bengaluru family court had directed that the father should get custody of the child every Sunday. For the past five weeks, she did not allow her son to visit his father. We believe she had come to Goa on the weekend to ensure that another week passes,” said the officer.

During questioning, the woman maintained she did not kill her son. “She claimed her son was asleep and she did not know how he died,” said the officer.

The cab driver told the police that during the ride from Goa to Bengaluru, she was quiet. “When he pointed out that her suitcase was unusually heavy, she said it’s because of clothes and extra luggage,” said the officer, adding that she had visited Goa with her son in the past too.