Mother arrested after live-in partner reveals five-year-old died following assault over ice cream flavor refusal.
|
Mother Arrested: A Bengaluru-based lawyer, Priyanka and mother, was arrested on Thursday for charges of the murder of her five and a half year old daughter, Vennela. Officials believe it was due to intentional concealment of Vennela's death (foul play appears likely). She had been in hiding for a number of weeks. Kadugodi police arrested Priyanka near Sakleshpur in Hassan district, and held her for five days as a remand in their custody. Most of the reason they had (to arrest her) was due to information gathered by Kadugodi police, from Priyanka's live-in partner 40-year-old Mohan G Mahalingappa was also charged with Vennela's murder.
Mohan allegedly told police that he had been the only adult with the little girl (Vennela) when he was taking a trip to the store with her on March 24. Priyanka had left to shop in Indiranagar. While he was in the car with Vennela, he purchased her ice cream, it was not the flavor she wanted, and when she told him to buy her another one, he allegedly punched her in the abdomen. When she began to scream, he allegedly. "Covered her mouth and nose" and suffocated her to death. The tragic death of Vennela was not brought to the media's attention until another family member of her father, private school owner Praveen from Davanagere, told the media.
The doctor confirmed the possibility of foul play, prompting Praveen to file a murder complaint against both Priyanka and Mohan in June. The couple had recently separated, with their elder daughter remaining in Praveen's custody while five-year-old Vennela was staying with her mother. Investigators revealed that Priyanka made considerable efforts to evade capture. She discontinued using her mobile phone and bankcards to avoid detection and remained hidden at a farmhouse owned by a friend of Mohan's. Despite these precautions, police successfully tracked her down and brought her into custody for charges also on domestic violence.
The case has raised glaring inconsistencies in Priyanka's accounts of her daughter's death that she has provided to family members. She first advised relatives that Vennela had eaten a meal, fallen asleep, and was found dead the next day. Later, Priyanka told other family members that she and Mohan had gone to Kolar for dinner and left Vennela sleeping in the car with air conditioning on. Upon returning home after dinner, they took Vennela inside and put her to bed, only to find her dead the next day.
According to police, the investigation is still ongoing. A spokesperson stated that Priyanka had not yet provided all relevant information related to her involvement in the murder and destruction of evidence. Investigators intend to compare accounts from both defendants to obtain a complete account of what occurred around Vennela's death and what was done to conceal it. Mohan is currently in police custody, while additional forensic and medical evidence is being developed. This case has generated a great deal of public interest in the area of child safety and accountability of those in a position of authority, particularly in light of Priyanka's role as an attorney.
Business Honor is of the view that Priyanka's arrest represents a critical development in the ongoing investigation into deliberate concealment and alleged destruction of evidence.
.webp)
