Neighbour taken into custody after 4-year-old found dead in water drum in Kadapa district

Tirupati: Pulivendula police have taken a young woman into custody on suspicion of drowning a four-year-old girl in a water drum at Lopanutala village in Lingala mandal of Kadapa district.The victim, Nithvika, daughter of Srujana, was found dead under suspicious circumstances inside a water drum near her house around 4.30 pm on Thursday.Initially suspected to be an accidental death, the case took a turn after police recovered CCTV footage from the neighbourhood, pointing to possible foul play.According to police sources, the footage showed the child walking towards the spot with Swathi, a neighbour who reportedly had differences with the child’s mother.Investigators found that the two women had prior disputes and had filed complaints against each other. Based on this and the CCTV evidence, police took Swathi into custody for questioning, as the child was last seen with her shortly before being found dead. Further investigation is underway.