Suchana Seth, the CEO of a Bengaluru-based startup, who was accused of murdering her four-year-old son amid a divorce battle with her husband, reportedly sought ₹ 2.5 lakh per month in alimony claiming that her husband had an annual income of over ₹ 1 crore. According to a report in Live Hindustan, Suchana accused her husband of physically abusing her and the child. She also presented copies of WhatsApp messages and medical records to substantiate her claim.

Though Seth’s husband denied the charges against him, the court barred Venkat Raman from communicating with his wife or child other than on specific days. Raman was given weekly visitation rights which upset Seth. Authorities have suggested that the issuance of this court order might be a factor in her decision to harm her child.

The domestic violence case was last heard on December 12, more than three weeks before Seth and her son moved into a service apartment in north Goa’s Candolim where she allegedly murdered her son. The court then postponed the hearing on the matter to January 29.

READ | Bengaluru CEO Suchana Seth planned murder? Goa police probing ‘cough syrup, cloth or pillow’ angle

Suchana Seth and Venkat Raman tied the knot in November 2010. Their son was born in August 2019. Seth and Venkat Raman were living apart since March 2021.

How Suchana Seth was caught

The Goa police on Tuesday arrested Seth while she was fleeing to Karnataka with her son’s body stuffed in a bag. She was caught after the apartment staff discovered a bloodstained towel while cleaning her room and promptly notified the police. Law enforcement then contacted the taxi driver transporting Seth to Bengaluru and guided him to the closest police station.

The autopsy report revealed that the child hadn’t struggled at all while being smothered with a pillow. Officials suspect that this could be due to the use of cough syrups to incapacitate the victim.

Authorities discovered two empty cough syrup bottles in Seth’s room, the purported crime scene of the murder.

(With inputs from agencies)