Archive · 22 Jan 2026
Kerala Court Sentences Mother to Life for Toddler's Murder
A mother in Kerala, India, was sentenced to life in prison for throwing her 1.5-year-old son into the sea.
The court found her guilty of murder, but her male friend was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
The mother confessed after police found saltwater on her clothes and evidence of head injuries on the child.
The court also fined her and ordered the money to be given to her husband.
The trial lasted several months and included testimony from 47 witnesses.
Saranya of Thayyil was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing her 1.5-year-old son, Viyan, by throwing him into the sea.
The court imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Saranya, with the amount to be given to her husband.
The second accused, Nidhin, was acquitted due to lack of evidence to prove conspiracy or abetment.
Investigators initially suspected the child's father, Pranav, due to marital discord and circumstantial evidence.
Scientific evidence, including saltwater on Saranya's clothes and postmortem findings, shifted suspicion to the mother, leading to her confession.
- Who
- Saranya of Thayyil, a mother from Kerala
- What
- Murder of her 1.5-year-old son, Viyan, by throwing him into the sea
- When
- February 2020
- Where
- Thayyil, Kannur district, Kerala
- Why
- To live a life of comfort with her male friend, Nidhin
- Convicted Person
- Saranya of Thayyil
- Victim
- Viyan (1.5-year-old son)
- Crime
- Murder by throwing into the sea
- Sentence
- Life imprisonment
- Fine
- Rs 1 lakh
- Court
- Additional Sessions Court, Taliparamba
- Date of Crime
- February 2020
- Witnesses Examined
- 47