Bihar Horror: Mother Slits 6-Month-Old Daughter's Throat With Sickle in Bettiah; Here's Why
A woman in Bihar's West Champaran district allegedly slit her six-month-old daughter's throat with a sickle and attempted suicide due to the infant's incessant crying. The child's grandmother intervened and alerted neighbours. The infant died, the mother is hospitalised under custody, and police suspect severe mental health issues.
Driven to rage by her six-month-old daughter's incessant crying, a woman in Bihar's West Champaran district allegedly used a sickle to slit the infant's throat before attempting suicide on Thursday night, June 25. The incident occurred at Barka village in Bettiah, under the jurisdiction of the Gopalpur police station. Local authorities have taken the mother into custody and are investigating her psychological state.
Discovery of the Crime
The deceased infant has been identified as Puja Kumari. At the time of the incident, the child's father, Sunil Das, who works as a migrant labourer, was away in Chandigarh. The infant was at home with her mother, Seema Devi, and her paternal grandmother, Saraswati Devi. Bihar Shocker: Missing Wife Video Exposes Honour Killing in Muzaffarpur; Brother Confesses to Strangling Sister Over Inter-Caste Marriage.
According to investigators, Saraswati Devi rushed into the room upon hearing screams from within the house. She discovered the six-month-old infant lying on the floor covered in blood, while Seema Devi was actively attempting to slit her own throat with the agricultural tool. The grandmother managed to physically disarm her daughter-in-law by snatching the sickle away, subsequently raising an alarm that alerted neighbours to contact emergency services.
Police Intervention and Legal Action
Gopalpur Station House Officer (SHO) Ankit Kumar arrived at the scene with a police team shortly after the alert. Law enforcement took custody of the infant's body and dispatched it to a regional hospital for a mandatory post-mortem examination. Seema Devi was rushed to a local medical facility, where she received emergency stitches for severe, self-inflicted lacerations to her neck. Following a formal complaint lodged by the grandmother, the Gopalpur police station registered a First Information Report (FIR) on Friday morning, June 26. Bihar Shocker: Mentally Ill Woman Kills Mother-in-Law Following Argument in Banka.
Preliminary Mental Health Investigation
The police have recovered the sickle used in the commission of the crime. While the suspect remains under formal police guard and faces ongoing interrogation, investigators are focusing closely on her psychological state leading up to the attack. "Prima facie, the woman appears to be mentally disturbed," SHO Ankit Kumar stated. He emphasised, however, that her psychological condition can only be officially confirmed following a detailed judicial investigation and the receipt of formal medical evaluations from psychiatric specialists.
Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Helpline Numbers:
Tele Manas (Ministry of Health) – 14416 or 1800 891 4416; NIMHANS – + 91 80 26995000 /5100 /5200 /5300 /5400; Peak Mind – 080-456 87786; Vandrevala Foundation – 9999 666 555; Arpita Suicide Prevention Helpline – 080-23655557; iCALL – 022-25521111 and 9152987821; COOJ Mental Health Foundation (COOJ) – 0832-2252525.
Women and Child Helpline Numbers:
Childline India – 1098; Missing Child and Women – 1094; Women’s Helpline – 181; National Commission for Women Helpline – 112; National Commission for Women Helpline Against Violence – 7827170170; Police Women and Senior Citizen Helpline – 1091/1291.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 26, 2026 05:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).