Mumbai: The sessions court recently granted bail to a woman accused of assaulting her 15-month-old son to death, noting the lack of evidence against her.
According to the prosecution, Rinki Rana, 23, left her husband for her lover, Rajesh Rana, 28. The couple moved from Odisha to Mumbai, married in March last year, and settled in Jogeshwari East, working as labourers. Rinki brought her toddler along when she eloped. Meanwhile, a missing person complaint was filed for her.
On May 21, the couple reported to the police that two men kidnapped their child and assaulted Rajesh when he tried to intervene. However, the police discovered their story was fabricated. The Meghwadi police alleged that Rinki and Rajesh killed the child as he was a source of their frequent fights.
A video found on their phone showed bruises on the toddler’s body. On the day of the incident, the police claimed the child was tied up and beaten, leading to his death. The couple then dumped the body in a sewer in Goregaon before reporting the fake kidnapping. They were arrested days later.
In her defence, Rinki argued she was also a victim and had no role in the crime. Her lawyer stated, “No mother kills her child without motive,” adding that there was no direct or circumstantial evidence against her.
The prosecution opposed her bail, citing a neighbour’s statement that Rinki had sought medicine for the child after he sustained a head injury from a fall. The postmortem report revealed six injuries, including fractures to the brain and shoulder.
The court, after reviewing arguments, observed that no evidence directly linked Rinki to the assault. It noted that even if the neighbour’s claim was true, it did not implicate her in the crime. “The applicant is a woman and the mother of the deceased. Bail cannot be denied solely because she is from Odisha,” the court ruled, granting her bail.
