Two people were arrested after the body of an hours-old baby boy were found in the backyard of a house in Bakersfield, California.
Grandmother Beant Kaur Dhillon, 43, who allegedly drowned and killed her hours-old grandson to "prevent family shame" pleaded not guilty to all charges during a court appearance.
According to court documents, around 8:46 a.m. on Tuesday, February 26, 2019, cops were dispatched to a location after a 15-year-old girl had informed her student counselor that her father, 47-year-old Jagsir Singh, had allegedly threatened to kill her and marry her away.
The teen girl allegedly told the officer she gave birth in November 2018 to a baby boy in her home in the 5200 block of Shining Craig Avenue in Southwest Bakersfield. She also told the police that the last thing she heard was her baby crying before she was "knocked out." The girl was told the baby had been taken somewhere to be adopted.
According to court documents, on November 12, 2018, Beant Kaur Dhillon and 23-year-old Bakhshinderpal Singh Mann allegedly found Dhillon’s 15-year-old daughter – and Mann’s cousin – had given birth to a boy in the bathroom of their family home.
Dhillon allegedly admitted to police that she then drowned the baby to “prevent family shame.”
After she killed the child, police say, Dhillon gave the body to her husband, Jagsir Singh who placed the remains in a plastic bag. Reports say Bakhshinderpal Singh, Dhillon's 23-year-old nephew, then buried the body in the backyard. During an interview, the victim told BPD that she did not know who the father of her baby was but the girl's father, Jagsir Singh, believed his nephew was the father of the baby.
According to court documents, in an interview, Singh told police he was "90% certain" his nephew, 23-year-old Bakhshinderpal Singh Mann, fathered the child. Singh allegedly told police he believed Singh and his daughter were "more than cousin's" and "did not believe the rape allegation."
Jagsir Singh, 48, was found dead around 9 a.m. March 7, and his death has been ruled a suicide, coroner's officials said. He was out on bail after being charged as an accessory to murder.
The funeral service for Jagsir Singh was held at Greenlawn Cemetery Southwest.
“The community wanted to be here today, not showing support, but to learn that what happened is sad and do something within the community so it doesn't happen again," said Gurinder Singh Basra.
Over 200 people were in attendance, including Beant Kaur Dhillon. She was escorted in by police and seated away from everyone else.
Dhillon has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of the newborn. Bakhshinderpal Singh Mann is also wanted in connection with the baby's death. Mann has been charged with felony accessory to murder and still remains at-large.
