Suchana Seth wrote note on tissue paper found with son’s body, forensic report confirms

The note, attached to the police chargesheet in the case, was allegedly written in black ink on crumpled and torn pieces of tissue paper and referred to the custody battle between Suchana and her estranged husband Venkatraman PR.

Suchana and her son checked into Hotel Sol Banyan Grande in North Goa’s Candolim on the night of January 6. She had the room booked till January 10, but cut her trip short, informing the hotel staff on January 7 night that she wanted to check-out due to “urgent work” in Bengaluru. (PTI Photo/File)

Over two months after the Goa Police filed a chargesheet against a Bengaluru tech firm CEO, Suchana Seth, in connection with the murder of her four-year-old son, forensic experts claim to have confirmed that the handwritten note – recovered from inside a trolley bag that contained her son’s body – was written by her.

According to police sources, a recent report from the Forensic Sciences Laboratory (FSL) shows that Suchana’s handwriting specimen matched the handwriting in the note. The note, attached to the police chargesheet in the case, was allegedly written in black ink on crumpled and torn pieces of tissue paper and referred to the custody battle between Suchana and her estranged husband Venkatraman PR.

The note indicated Suchana not wanting to let the child visit his father.

“The FSL report confirms that the note was written by her. The note is a crucial piece of evidence to establish motive,” said a police officer, requesting anonymity.

Suchana and her son checked into Hotel Sol Banyan Grande in North Goa’s Candolim on the night of January 6. She had the room booked till January 10, but cut her trip short, informing the hotel staff on January 7 night that she wanted to check-out due to “urgent work” in Bengaluru.

The next day, she was detained from Karnataka’s Chitradurga district while allegedly trying to flee in a cab with her son’s body stuffed in a trolley bag.

According to police sources, a recent report of the medical examination conducted by doctors at The Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour, at the Goa Medical College, had declared Suchana “fit to stand trial”. In March, the Children’s Court had allowed her father’s plea for a re-evaluation of her mental state and for another medical examination to be conducted.

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This was after police, in an earlier medical examination report filed in February, had said that “serial mental health examinations of the accused did not reveal any case of psychopathology” and “her judgment was intact and she gave rational answers in her assessments”.

The chargesheet filed in April states that the four-year-old child died as a result of “shock and respiratory asphyxia” caused by “strangulation”.

The chargesheet also said that, in January 2022, Suchana told her husband she wanted a divorce and subsequently filed a petition against him in a court in Bengaluru. She also filed a case in a family court in Bengaluru under the Guardians and Wards Act and obtained an ex-parte order in August 2022 prohibiting her husband from taking custody of his son from her.

The chargesheet noted that in subsequent proceedings, the court began to reinstate Venkatraman’s access to his son, “but the accused (Suchana) was not allowing him to meet his son giving one or other excuses”.

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Azhar Meer, Venkatraman’s advocate, declined to comment on the development.

Pavneet Singh Chadha

Pavneet Singh Chadha is the Goa Correspondent of The Indian Express. His reporting focuses intensely on the state of Goa, covering major developments in politics, governance, and significant local events, which establishes his high degree of Expertise and Authority in the region. Expertise Geographic Expertise: As the Goa correspondent, Pavneet provides on-the-ground, comprehensive coverage of Goa's political, social, and cultural landscape, ensuring readers receive timely and localized insights. Key Coverage Focus: His recent work demonstrates deep investigative capabilities and a focus on high-impact stories, including: Investigative Reporting: Extensive coverage of complex events such as major incidents (e.g., the Goa nightclub fire), tracing the legal, political, and safety lapses involved. Government and Law Enforcement: Detailed tracking of police actions, deportations, and legal proceedings related to significant local cases. Policy and Governance: Reporting on the judiciary (e.g., Goa High Court flagging illegal structures) and the actions of government departments. He tweets @pub_neat ... Read More

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