Bengaluru: Young woman found dead in Lalbagh lake after fleeing hospital

Bengaluru police are investigating the death of a 22-year-old woman whose body was discovered floating in the Lalbagh Botanical Garden lake near the West Gate on Saturday morning.

The deceased, identified as Jenisha Nath, was a domestic worker living in Sarjapur with her husband, Navnath Raj, who is employed as a security guard. The couple had been married for four years.

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According to Siddapura police, the incident came to light around 6.30 am when a garden security guard noticed the body and informed authorities. Preliminary inquiries revealed that Jenisha had left Vani Vilas Hospital, located within the Victoria Hospital premises, earlier that morning around 4 am. The hospital is approximately three kilometers from Lalbagh. Investigators believe she entered the garden under the guise of being a morning walker and may have ended her life around 5.30 am.

Post-partum depression

Family members reported her missing from the hospital shortly after she absconded and later identified her body at the mortuary. Police said Jenisha had delivered a baby boy on August 16. The following day, the newborn was diagnosed with a liver ailment and was receiving treatment at the hospital.

Authorities suspect Jenisha was distressed over her infant’s condition and may have been suffering from post-partum depression, which likely drove her to the tragic act. An investigation is underway, and police are gathering further details from her relatives.