Kochi: Police continue to harbour doubts about the incident in which a three-and-a-half-year-old girl was allegedly thrown into a river and killed by her mother in Kochi, Kerala. Although the woman has been arrested and questioned, officers have yet to receive a clear explanation for her actions.

During questioning, the young woman told police that she felt persistently isolated at her husband's home, and that even her children were kept away from her. According to sources, she stated that this emotional neglect had caused her significant mental stress.

She also revealed that her husband was avoiding her and preparing to remarry. The woman told police that fear over her daughter’s future under those circumstances drove her to commit the murder. However, investigators remain sceptical of her account.

When asked directly about the incident, she repeatedly said, "I went to throw the child into the river," without any change in her expression or emotional response. Initially, she did not cooperate with questioning, standing silently with her head bowed and refusing to answer.

While police have found that a close relative of the child’s father had been sexually abusing the girl for over a year, they have not yet determined whether the mother was aware of this. So far, she has not made any statements regarding the abuse. Officers are puzzled as to why she would kill the child if she knew about the abuse, and find it difficult to believe she remained unaware for so long.

Investigators have also established that the family environment was deeply troubled, with frequent discord between the child’s parents. Police believe the accused abuser may have exploited this instability. Neighbours confirmed that the accused was someone the child was particularly close to.

The mother of the accused woman has claimed her daughter suffered domestic violence, stating that her husband regularly beat her. Police are now examining these allegations in detail.

Along with continued questioning of the woman in custody, she will also undergo a medical evaluation. On Friday, police will collect evidence from her husband’s home in Puthenkurish, the bridge in Moozhikkulam where the child was thrown into the river, and from the woman’s own residence.