Suchana Seth, the 39-year-old CEO of artificial intelligence startup Mindful AI Lab, has been arrested in Goa for the alleged murder of her four-year-old son. The tragic incident unfolded at a service apartment in Candolim, Goa, where Seth smothered her son to death before attempting suicide.
Police reports indicate that after committing the crime, Suchana Seth traveled to Chitradurga in Karnataka with her son’s body. She was subsequently arrested in Karnataka and brought back to Goa, where she has been remanded to police custody for six days by a court in Mapusa town.
The Superintendent of Police (North Goa), Nidhin Valsan, stated that Suchana Seth has been charged under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder) and 201 (destruction of evidence), along with the Goa Children’s Act. The motive behind the murder remains unknown.
Seth, who is currently undergoing divorce proceedings, was estranged from her husband, who resides in Jakarta, Indonesia. The couple’s separation raised questions about the circumstances leading to the tragic incident.
According to police investigations, on January 6, Suchana Seth checked into a service apartment in Candolim with her son. After a two-day stay, she informed the apartment staff of her intention to travel to Bengaluru for work and requested a taxi. On January 8, a vehicle was arranged for her, and she left the apartment early in the morning.
Subsequent to her departure, apartment staff discovered bloodstains on a towel in the room, prompting immediate notification to the police. The staff also reported that Seth, who left with an unusually heavy bag, did not have her son with her when she left.
Upon being alerted by the Goa police, authorities in Chitradurga checked Seth’s bag and found the lifeless body of her four-year-old son. The bloodstains in the service apartment were later revealed to be a result of Seth’s attempt to slash her wrist.
Suchana Seth, originally from West Bengal, had a prominent role as the CEO of Mindful AI Lab, an artificial intelligence startup. Described as an AI ethics expert and data scientist with over 12 years of experience, Seth had been recognized as one of the top ‘100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2021.’ Her professional background included roles as a Mozilla Fellow at Data & Society, a fellow at the Berkman Klein Centre at Harvard University, and a research fellow at the Raman Research Institute.
The tragic incident has shocked the community, raising questions about the factors leading to the alleged murder and suicide attempt by Suchana Seth. Investigations are ongoing to uncover more details surrounding this heartbreaking event.