Thane woman slits newborn daughter's throat with fingernails to kill her, arrested

The woman, already has two daughters aged five and three, was apparently worried that she would not be able to raise her third child given her poor financial condition

Thane: A 27-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly killing her newborn daughter, police said. The accused, Vaishali Pradhan, residing in Umbarde village near Thane, allegedly cut the throat of her daughter, born just a week ago, with sharpened fingernails on Saturday, police said.

Vaishali Pradhan, who already has two daughters aged five and three, was apparently worried that she would not be able to raise her third child given her poor financial condition, the police said.

She was arrested on Sunday by the Khadakpada police and booked on murder charge, they said. Her husband is addicted to alcohol and is a habitual drinker, they said. The woman had reportedly borrowed some money for an abortion but her husband took it away and spent it on alcohol.

After killing the child, the woman took her to the Thane Civil Hospital for "treatment". Doctors felt something amiss and informed the police, they said. During questioning, Pradhan confessed to the crime, the Khadakpada police added.

According to a police officer a neighbour had also alerted them after he noticed that the baby was bleeding profusely from a wound on her neck but Pradhan was holding her and did not seem to be worried or in a hurry to take her to a doctor or hospital.