Seven-year-old Aisika Sarkar was alive when her mother Swathi threw her from the terrace of their building in Bengaluru’s Jaraganahalli. But that was not all. Swathi picked her up, went back to the terrace and flung her down once more from the four storey building on Sunday afternoon, The Times of India reported.
Neighbours who heard the commotion rushed out to witness a girl falling down to her death. According to one of Aishika’s neighbours, who was sleeping at 3:30 pm on Sunday, she woke up to the screams of the child.
When she rushed out to find out what happened, she witnessed Aishika being flung from the terrace of her building.
An Eye Witness Account
One of Swathi’s neighbours told TNM:
I did not understand what was happening at once because Aishika was screaming in pain and Swathi’s nightie had some blood on it. She picked up Aishika and went up. But I never expected her to throw Aishika from the terrace.
Swathi then ran into her house. Her neighbours allege that she seemed mentally unstable. Aishika’s neighbour said:
She went in to change her clothes. Once she came out, we tied her to the pole and informed the police about the incident.
Neighbours allege that Swathi had been acting strangely ever since she separated from her husband a few months ago. They said that Aishika only started speaking recently and was a slow learner.
“Aishika was not going to school. She started talking recently and Swathi was always with her,” the neighbour said.
A Murder Case Slapped Against the Mother
Puttenahalli Police, on receiving the neighbour’s complaint, arrived at the spot. They have taken up a case of murder and shifted Aishika’s body to KIMS Hospital for an autopsy, which could be conducted on Monday.
Police arrested Swathi, who used to work as a teacher, after calming down the neighbours who had tied her up to the electric pole.
The Puttenahalli Police suspect that Swathi is mentally unstable. The police said:
The deceased child had speech development problems. We have taken the father’s statement, who said that, the accused Swathi Sarkar used to get angry and lose control of herself. He has said that their daughter was the victim of her anger.
Swathi and her estranged husband Kanchan came to Bengaluru from West Bengal’s Bankura nine years ago, and were living in the Jaraganahalli house. They were in love when they came to Bengaluru and married against their parents' wishes. The couple had no contact with their families.
A few months ago, the husband moved out of the house to live separately near his office in Indiranagar and would visit his wife once a month to give her money for maintenance.
Swathi, who was initially teaching at a private school, quit her job two years ago.
(This story was first published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission.)
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