Palakkad bathroom tank tragedy takes dark turn; mother in custody over children's deaths

The case of two siblings found drowned in a bathroom tank in Palakkad has taken a disturbing turn, with police now treating their deaths as a suspected double murder after their mother allegedly confessed to drowning them. Questions have also been raised over the mother’s conduct and the inconsistencies in her account of what happened.

Children found dead at rented house

Five-year-old Jennifer Juliet and her three-year-old brother Robin Christopher were staying with their parents at their rented house in Koorankad, near Kozhinjampara, on Tuesday. The children had remained at home instead of going to school as they were suffering from a slight fever.

Their father, John Kumar, a daily wage worker, had left for work. Before leaving, he had specifically told his wife, Nivedya, not to allow the children to play in the bathroom.

About half an hour later, Nivedya called her brother-in-law and reported that an accident had occurred. She initially said she had found both children lying motionless inside a water-filled concrete tank in the bathroom at the rear of the house.

Neighbours rushed the children to hospital, but doctors declared them dead on arrival. Kozhinjampara police initially registered a case of unnatural death, suspecting that the children had accidentally fallen into the tank while playing.

Neighbours question accident theory

Doubts about the accident theory reportedly emerged soon after the deaths. Neighbours living about 100 metres from the house said they had not heard screams or any unusual noise around the time of the incident.

A colleague of John Kumar also raised questions about whether the children could have drowned accidentally. According to the colleague, the concrete tank was around two feet high and the children had previously played in it and could climb out.

Concerns were also raised locally about Nivedya’s conduct and the care of the children. Her account of what she was doing when the incident occurred also reportedly changed. She initially told neighbours that she had been outside collecting firewood when the children drowned.

Mother allegedly confesses to killing children

The investigation took a dramatic turn on Wednesday morning when family members questioned Nivedya about the deaths.

During a private conversation with John Kumar’s uncle, Selvam, Nivedya allegedly admitted to drowning the two children. Selvam said she cited rumours in the locality questioning the children’s paternity as a reason for the alleged act.

Police later took Nivedya into custody. Senior police officers said she repeated the confession during questioning.

According to police, Nivedya allegedly told investigators that she considered the children an obstacle to her future life. Police suspect that she first drowned Jennifer while the five-year-old was bathing and then drowned her younger brother.

Police also said there were no visible signs of a struggle on the children's bodies and reported no indications of mental illness.