A terrible occurrence has resulted in the arrest of Dr. Neha Gupta, an Oklahoma pediatrician, in connection with her 4-year-old daughter’s drowning death in an El Portal residential pool.
Detectives from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) Homicide Bureau detained Dr. Gupta in Oklahoma and are currently awaiting extradition to Miami-Dade County, where she will face first-degree murder charges.
The investigation began on June 27, when officers from the Village of El Portal Police Department responded to an overnight 9-1-1 call about a drowning youngster in a residential pool. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue rushed the motionless youngster to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Investigators’ preliminary investigations suggest that Dr. Neha Gupta and her daughter had traveled from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and were staying at a short-term rental house at the time of the event.
Overnight, they received a 9-1-1 call, reporting that the child was drowning in the pool.
However, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office reported a key development in the case. An autopsy performed on June 29 reportedly found no water in the victim’s lungs or stomach, indicating she did not drown. In addition, there were reported lacerations in the child’s mouth and bruises within her cheeks.
According to local news site WPLG, preliminary tests show the child’s injuries were consistent with “smothering,” and she most likely died before being placed in the pool. The news source, citing the document, claims that Gupta “attempted to conceal the killing of the deceased victim by staging an accidental drowning within the swimming pool of a rental property.”
Adding to the tragedy, Gupta and her ex-husband, Dr. Saurabh Talathi, allegedly shared care of the young child and were fighting over custody at the time of her death. Dr. Talathi apparently had no idea that Gupta had taken their daughter out of Oklahoma.
After a thorough investigation and consultation with the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Dr. Neha Gupta. They then drove to Oklahoma City, where, with the help of the Oklahoma City Police Department’s Homicide Unit and the United States Marshals Service, they successfully discovered and apprehended her.
Dr. Gupta is now awaiting extradition to Miami-Dade County. There is no arrest affidavit or booking photo available at this time. The community expects more information as the judicial process proceeds in this melancholy situation.