A one-month-old baby was found dead in a water tank in Anekal town near Bengaluru, police said on Tuesday.

Suryanagar police station inspector Mahajan said, “The incident took place in Iggalur village on Monday when the mother left the baby alone briefly to go to the toilet around 12:45 p.m.”

“When she returned, she found that the child was missing. She then searched the house and surrounding area, but could not find the baby. She reported the situation to the Suryanagar police, who later discovered the body of the infant in the water tank on the terrace of the building,” he added.

Mahajan said the child was born prematurely at six and a half months and required extensive medical care, costing the family a lot of money. “After a month in the intensive care unit of a private hospital, the baby was brought home,” he said.

During investigation, neighbors told police that Manu and Harshita faced strong opposition to their marriage as they belonged to different castes.

Police quoted a neighbor, Studio Nagesh, as saying, “Manu belongs to the Dalit community while Harshita belongs to the upper caste Gowda community. Their marriage was strongly opposed by her family. Someone who knows this house well could have done it.

A case has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 103 (murder), Mahajan said, adding that “we have clues and will arrest the accused soon”.

Bengaluru Rural SP CK Baba said, “This heinous act was probably committed by someone within the family. The couple lived on the ground floor, while Manu’s family members lived on the first floor.

“We’re looking at all angles,” he added.