Mother arrested for killing 5‑year‑old daughter and 3‑year‑old son in Kerala home

Police have taken a 30‑year‑old woman named Nivedya into custody, accusing her of murdering her two young children in a rented house at Menonpara, Kozhinjampara, Palakkad district, Kerala. The children, five‑year‑old Jennifer Juliet and her three‑year‑old brother Robin Christopher, were discovered lifeless in the bathtub of the bathroom at about 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Nivedya first told officers she was away on work and that she found the bodies after entering the bathroom; the father, John Kumar, was also out for work at the time. Investigators initially recorded the deaths as unnatural, ordered post‑mortem examinations and gathered statements from neighbours and the father, all of whom questioned Nivedya’s version. During questioning on Wednesday, the suspect admitted to drowning both children. She said the kids blocked her plans to live independently, study further and pursue a modelling career. The FIR was lodged at Kozhinjampara police station, where a senior officer said her confession has been logged but the probe will continue.

Context

Child murders are rare in India and draw public attention to issues of family stress and child protection. The case highlights how personal aspirations can clash with parental responsibilities, prompting calls for better support systems for struggling families.