Murder-accused Bengaluru CEO confronted by husband: What happened next
Suchana Seth, a Bengaluru start-up founder accused of murdering her son, had a heated argument with her estranged husband, PR Venkatraman, at Goa's Calangute Police Station on Saturday, Hindustan Times reported. The couple, who are in the midst of divorce proceedings, blamed each other for the murder during the 15-minute meeting arranged by the Goa Police. Venkatraman questioned Seth about the alleged murder, but she denied any involvement, leading to a verbal fight.
Why does this story matter?
Seth was arrested in Karnataka's Chitradurga district on January 8 while attempting to flee Goa in a cab with her son's body stuffed inside a bag. She is suspected of murdering her son over a bitter custody battle with Venkatraman. Earlier, two empty cough syrup bottles were found in the North Goa service apartment where the four-year-old was allegedly murdered. This indicated Seth might have planned the murder and given the boy a heavy dose of medication, cops said.
Seth's denial, couple's blame game
The police said the couple indulged in a "blame game" when they met face-to-face in their custody. "Venkatraman asked her, 'What have you done to my child?' to which [Seth] replied she hadn't done anything," a police officer told HT. Seth's response to Venkatraman's questions was consistent with her statements to the Goa Police. She had claimed she had fallen asleep while her son was still alive and found him dead upon waking up in the North Goa service apartment.
Venkatraman's lawyer on custody battle, possible motive
The confrontation came after Venkatraman recorded his statement before the Goa Police. He claimed that Seth had prevented him from meeting the child for the last five Sundays in violation of a court order. Venkatraman's lawyer, Azhar Meer, claimed the couple had been fighting for the child's custody in Bengaluru's family court for about a year. He stated that Seth's motivation for the alleged murder could be to prevent the kid from developing an emotional connection with his father.
Seth previously filed domestic violence charges against husband
In August 2022, Seth filed a case of domestic violence against Venkataraman, accusing him of physically assaulting the child. At the time, the boy was also undergoing treatment at Bengaluru's National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) adolescent psychiatry center. In her petition, the Mindful AI Lab CEO claimed she was forced to stay separately for fear of abuse and violence by her husband. She also alleged that Venkataraman did not take care of her during her pregnancy.
Seth accused of smothering son in Goa
Seth is accused of smothering her son to death in the North Goa service apartment and attempting to move his body to Bengaluru. She was arrested on January 8 in Chitradurga, Karnataka. Reportedly, she asked Venkatraman to pick up their son in Bengaluru on January 6 but did not respond when he arrived at the designated location. The crime was unraveled after the housekeeping staff of the apartment found blood-stained towels after she checked out.
