Indian AI startup CEO arrested after body of 4-year-old son found in luggage

The CEO of an Indian Artificial Intelligence (AI) startup has been arrested on suspicion that she murdered her four-year-old son after his body was found in her luggage, police said.

Suchana Seth, who heads The Mindful AI Lab in India’s tech hub of Bengaluru, was detained in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka state when she was returning from the neighbouring state of Goa by taxi and arrested after the body was found in her luggage, they said.

Seth could not be reached for comment as she was in custody and police said they did not know if she has a lawyer as yet. Staff at her company could not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the murder of 4-year-old son by startup CEO mother in Goa has taken a twist with the police suspecting that the accused, 39-year-old Suchana Seth, was planning the crime for a long time and was cooking up the story of attempt to suicide.

Sources said that Suchana had put up a post on social media by putting the picture of her son and giving the hashtag "what will happen to him?" The police sources said that the post was written on Oct.10, 2023 and the development had aroused suspicions on pre-planning of the murder by the accused mother.

The police have also gathered information that accused Suchana Seth was arrogant and quarrelsome in the apartment premises.

Seth had checked into a hotel with her son in Goa on Saturday but the boy was not with her when she checked out on Monday night, Goa police inspector Paresh Naik said.

Hotel cleaning staff found blood stains in the room after she checked out and informed the police, Naik added. Police then got in touch with the taxi driver by phone and asked him to take Seth to the nearest police station, he said.

"When her luggage was opened, the child's dead body was found,” North Goa Superintendent of Police Nidhin Valsan told reporters.

Goa police brought Seth back to the state, Valsan said, adding that her husband was in Indonesia and had been asked to come to India. Reuters was unable to contact Seth's husband or anyone in her family for comment.

Valsan said that so far the motive of the crime is not known as the case is in the primary stage of investigation. "After reaching Goa she was produced in the local court, who sent her to six days police custody,” Valsan said, while addressing a press conference, news agency IANS reported.

Valsan said that the accused woman is native of West Bengal and has been settled in Bengaluru, while she is married to Keralite. "Her husband is presently in Indonesia. We have informed him about the incident,” Valsan said. "She has told us that they were undergoing divorce proceedings. We have to verify this,” Valsan said.

Police said that she had checked into a service apartment in Candolim-north Goa on Sunday morning with her son and left for Bengaluru on Monday early morning after committing crime in the room.

Police said that she insisted for a cab, though hotel staff had told her that flight will be cheaper than roadways. Police said that ‘estranged relationship’ with her husband is one of the reasons behind the motive of murder.

The police have also gathered information that accused Suchana Seth was arrogant and quarrelsome in the apartment premises.

Sources also said that Venkataramana, the father, after getting entitled to visitation rights had arrived from Jakarta in Indonesia to Bengaluru to meet his son on Sunday. He had brought toys and new clothes for the child. But, Suchana Seth had taken the kid to Goa on Saturday. Venkataramana made several phone calls and video calls to her but they remained unanswered.

Meanwhile, the family of the four-year-old, Chinmay conducted last rites at the Harishchandra Ghat.

The heart wrenching scenes of Venkataramana, the father, carrying the body of his child in his both arms and walking towards the graveyard and grieving stirred emotions.

Venkaratarama and family have not given any statements and have requested the media for a later interaction.

Police sources said that once the final rites are performed, the Goa Police will question Venkataramana.

Accused Suchana Seth, had claimed that she attempted to render her son unconscious to stop him from talking to his father over video call by pressing the pillow on his face and the child was suffocated to death.

Suchana had claimed that later she attempted to commit suicide by slashing her hands, but failed. Not about to figure out what to do in the situation, she stuffed the body into a suitcase and checked out of the hotel.

The investigation has shown that the deceased boy had spoken to his father over video call on Sunday. Seth had confessed that she did not want her son to talk to father at all.

Reuters