Bengaluru CEO's Note May Reveal Motive Behind Son's Murder: Police

The CEO of an artificial intelligence startup, Suchana Seth, was apprehended by the police for the alleged murder of her four-year-old son at a service apartment in North Goa. Following the tragic incident, authorities stated that Seth tried to kill herself. Now, a police officer involved in the investigation revealed that a handwritten note in English, seemingly penned by 39-year-old startup founder Suchana Seth, had been discovered in one of her bags carried in a taxi.

The police revealed that during questioning, Seth disclosed that she and her husband were separated, undergoing divorce proceedings, and engaged in a custody battle for their son, a source of considerable distress for the CEO. 

Note Found in Bengaluru CEO Case May Reveal Motive in Son's Murder, 10 Things To Know

1. Allegedly, she committed the heinous act at a service apartment in Candolim, Goa, where they checked in on January 6.
2. Tragically, her four-year-old son was smothered with a pillow and succumbed to suffocation, as confirmed by doctors at Hiriyur Hospital during the initial examination of the body before the postmortem.
3. The tragic incident occurred over 36 hours ago, resulting in visible signs of suffocation on the child's face and chest, accompanied by nasal bleeding.
4. The child, who passed away in Goa, was later taken to Hiriyur Hospital's mortuary after his father returned from Indonesia. Superintendent of Police (North Goa) Nidhin Valsan revealed that Seth's husband is from Kerala and was in Jakarta, Indonesia during the incident. 
5. The child's mother has been arrested on murder charges and is undergoing police interrogation. Subsequently, she attempted suicide by cutting her wrist, as per police reports.
6. Seth has been charged under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 302 for murder and 201 for the destruction of evidence, alongside provisions of the Goa Children's Act, as confirmed by official sources.
7. However, Seth's subsequent actions have raised several queries. Reportedly, she requested a taxi for a 600-kilometre journey to Bengaluru, dismissing the hotel's suggestion to take a flight. She claimed her son was with a friend and provided an address, which was later discovered to be false.
8. A police officer involved in the investigation revealed that a handwritten note in English, seemingly penned by 39-year-old startup founder Suchana Seth, had been discovered in one of her bags carried in a taxi. The note, hastily written on tissue paper using eyeliner, suggests that Seth may have been in a hurry when jotting down the five-sentence message.
9. The officer stated that the note suggests the accused had reservations about her son going with his father and provides a glimpse into her mental state. The officer added that it might have been written around the time when she was suspected to have committed the tragic act of ending her child's life.
10. The police investigation is ongoing, with the motive behind the murder yet to be determined. Seth is in the process of divorcing her husband, and their separation hasn't been amicable, according to authorities.

11. Seth, amidst a contentious divorce with her husband, PR Venkat Raman, previously filed domestic violence charges in August, securing a restraining order. Alleging physical abuse towards both herself and their child, she sought alimony of ₹2.5 lakh monthly, citing Raman's purported annual income of over ₹1 crore. NDTV revealed that Seth provided WhatsApp messages, images, and medical records to support her claims.

12. While Raman, present in Indonesia during the alleged incident, denied the domestic violence accusations, the restraining order prohibited him from contacting Seth or the child via phone, social media, or entering their home. The couple married in November 2010, and their son was born in August 2019. Seth stated in court that she had been living separately from her husband since March 2021.