Mohali, April 27 -- Three years after a three-day-old girl was buried alive, a district and sessions court in Mohali acquitted her mother of murder charges on grounds of legal insanity, ruling that the woman was of unsound mind at the time of the incident and incapable of understanding the natureand consequences of her actions. Legal insanity is a term used to describe a mental state that is severe enough to prevent a person from having legal capacity, and thus excuses them from criminal responsibility. According to the case registered in February 2023, the infant's father had alleged that his wife had buried their daughter in soil, and that he had rescued her and rushed her to the hospital, where she died during treatment. During trial, the prosecution alleged that the woman had intentionally killed the child. However, the defence, led by advocate Shiv Murthy, argued that the woman had been suffering from a long-standing mental illness and was not in a stable condition at the time. A medical board, constituted by the Mohali civil surgeon, examined her in May 2024 and found that she was exhibiting psychotic symptoms and lacked insight. Doctors testified that she was unaware of her pregnancy, had not undergone any medical check-ups, and was unable to comprehend reality or the consequences of her actions at the relevant time. Relying on medical testimony, the court noted that the woman had a history of psychiatric illness and had been under treatment between 2014 and 2018 but discontinued medication, leading to deterioration in her condition. Pronouncing the judgment, additional sessions judge Harsimranjit Singh said the defence had established the plea of legal insanity under Section 84 of the Indian Penal Code through medical and circumstantial evidence. The court also noted that the case was based on circumstantial evidence with no eyewitness. It concluded that the material on record supported the plea of legal insanity and ordered her release, if not required in any other case....