Mother convicted in toddler murder case in Kerala’s Kannur; co-accused acquitted due to lack of evidence

The Additional Sessions Court, Taliparamba, Kannur, on Monday (January 19, 2026) found Sharanya guilty of murdering her one-and-a-half-year-old child by throwing him into the sea near Taliparamba. The court held that the prosecution had proved the charge of murder beyond reasonable doubt.

Sharanya’s friend and alleged paramour, Nithin, the second accused in the case, was acquitted as court ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a criminal conspiracy against him. The court said there was insufficient evidence to link him directly to the commission of the crime.

The sentencing was set to be pronounced later in the day.

The prosecution alleged that Sharanya killed the child on February 17, 2020 to pursue a life with Nithin after marital discord with her husband, Pranav.

According to the prosecution, Sharanya took the sleeping child from the house in the early hours and threw him into the sea. The child’s body was later found among rocks on the beach. A post-mortem examination revealed that the cause of death was head injury sustained after hitting the rocks.

The investigation initially explored multiple angles, including suspicion against the husband, but later focussed on Sharanya based on circumstantial and scientific evidence. Investigators noted inconsistencies in her statements, saltwater stains on the clothes she had worn on the night of the incident and call records linking her to Nithin. After sustained questioning, Sharanya confessed to the crime.

The prosecution was led by public prosecutor U. Ramesan. The chargesheet had earlier alleged that the murder was premeditated, while also attributing a role to the second accused in the conspiracy, a charge the court did not accept.