Grandmother allegedly drowned newborn in Bakersfield home to 'prevent family shame': court docs

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KTLA/CNN) -- A grandmother allegedly drowned her grandson hours after his birth and buried him in the backyard of a Southwest Bakersfield home to “prevent family shame,” according to court documents obtained by Bakersfield television station KERO.

Beant Kaur Dhillon, 43, pleaded not guilty to all charges during a court appearance on Thursday afternoon, the station reported. She is scheduled to be back in court on March 13.

According to court documents, on November 12, 2018, Beant Kaur Dhillon and 23-year-old Bakhshinderpal Singh Mann allegedly found Dhillon's 15-year-old daughter — and Mann's cousin — had given birth to a boy in the bathroom of their family home, located in the 5200 block of Shining Crag Avenue.

Dhillon allegedly admitted to police that she then drowned the baby to “prevent family shame.”

According to court documents, hours later, Mann and Dhillon, his aunt, allegedly worked together to dig a hole in the backyard of the home. They then allegedly placed the baby into the hole, placed salt in the hole, and buried the baby.

Court documents say 47-year-old Jagsir Singh, the father of the 15-year-old, was allegedly summoned back to the residence after his wife allegedly killed the baby and placed him in a garbage bag. Court documents say Singh allegedly allowed the baby to be buried in the yard in order to hide the baby and the pregnancy. Singh allegedly made no attempt to inform police of the birth or death and allegedly did not seek medical treatment for his daughter.

According to court documents, in the following months, Dhillon allegedly neglected to seek medical treatment for her daughter.

Dhillon was arrested and charged with felony first-degree murder, felony assault of a child with force likely to cause great bodily injury, resulting in death, and felony child abuse, KERO reported. Singh was also arrested and charged with felony accessory to murder and felony child abuse.