Bengaluru,  The Karnataka High Court has acquitted a woman accused of killing her two-month-old ailing baby.

The 33-year-old mother had thrown the baby, who was suffering from respiratory problem and epilepsy, into a river in Koratagere town of Tumakuru district in 2016. The Madhugiri Trial Court had sentenced her to life imprisonment besides a fine of Rs 10,000.

In its recent judgement, the court ordered her immediate release from the prison as she had already spent six years in jail.

A division bench of Justices K. Somashekar and Shivashankar Amarannanavar passed the order. It bench opined that the prosecution has failed to produce any evidence under the charges of IPC Section 302 (murder).

The awarding of life imprisonment to her is not tenable and hence, the earlier order is quashed, the bench said.

Hailing from Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, the woman had come to Koratagere with her infant and husband. The infant developed respiratory problems and epilepsy and she was unable to breastfeed it.

After consulting doctors, she allegedly threw her infant into the Swarnamukhi river. Later, she maintained that robbers had attacked and taken away her jewels and infant.

Her husband had lodged a complaint in this regard. When the police inquired, they suspected the role of mother and she confessed to the crime.