Who is Bengaluru's 'killer mom' Suchana Seth, the start-up CEO accused of murdering 4-year-old son in Goa?
Suchana Seth, as per her LinkedIn profile, is a seasoned AI ethics expert and data scientist with more than 12 years of experience in guiding data science teams and implementing scalable machine learning solutions within startup environments.
FollowOn Monday night, Suchana Seth, a 39-year-old CEO of an AI startup in Bengaluru, was arrested for the alleged murder of her four-year-old son at a service apartment in Goa. She was taken into custody in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district while trying to escape in a cab with her son’s body placed in a bag. Although the complete motive for the murder remains unclear, preliminary investigations indicate that Seth mentioned an "estranged relationship" with her husband as a potential factor.
Suchana Seth, as per her LinkedIn profile, is a seasoned AI ethics expert and data scientist with more than 12 years of experience in guiding data science teams and implementing scalable machine learning solutions within startup environments. She serves as the founder of The Mindful AI Lab, a technical consultancy that specializes in offering customized AI ethics advisory services. The company's focus includes auditing AI systems and data practices, as well as collaboratively developing responsible AI roadmaps for organizations across various stages of data maturity.
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Suchana, listed among the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics in 2021, has also served as a fellow (2017-18) and affiliate (2018-19) at the Berkman Klein Centre at Harvard University, according to her profile.
As per the Berkman Klein Centre alum page, Suchana possesses patents in text mining and natural language processing. The page notes her fervor for addressing the gender gap in data science and mentions her leadership in conducting data science workshops with organizations such as Women Who Code.
While at Berkman, Suchana focused on exploring methods to implement ethical machine learning and AI practices within the industry. Her LinkedIn profile additionally highlights her roles as a Senior Analytics Consultant at Data Sciences Group, Innovation Labs, and a Research Fellow at the Raman Research Institute.
What we know about the case so far?
The alleged murder of Suchana's 4-year-old son took place at a hotel in Candolim, situated in the coastal belt of North Goa. On January 6, Suchana checked into a rented service apartment in Candolim, accompanied by her son. After a two-day stay, she informed the apartment staff of her need to travel to Bengaluru for work and requested a taxi. Despite staff suggesting a more economical flight option, Seth insisted on using a taxi, and a vehicle was arranged for her on January 8.
Upon cleaning the room later, the apartment staff discovered bloodstains on a towel, prompting them to immediately alert the Calangute police. They also mentioned that Seth left without her four-year-old son and was carrying an unusually heavy bag.
During questioning, Seth claimed the bloodstains were a result of her monthly periods and provided a fake address for her friend who allegedly took care of her son. The police, upon contacting the taxi driver in Chitradurga, instructed him to take Seth to the nearest police station. Upon inspecting her bag, the police discovered the tragic reality – the lifeless body of her child.
A team from the Calangute police has been dispatched to Chitradurga to obtain a transit remand for Seth and bring her back to Goa. The postmortem for the child's body is scheduled to take place in Chitradurga. Seth's husband, Venkat Raman, currently in Jakarta, has been informed about the incident by the police.
