BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The trial for Beant Dhillon, the woman charged with the drowning death of her newborn grandson, has been postponed after a juror tested positive for COVID-19.
According to Judge Kenneth C. Twisselman II, the juror is being quarantined. The trial is postponed until Dec. 10.
Dhillon is charged with drowning her newborn grandson just after her 15-year-old daughter gave birth. She faces life in prison for murder, assault on a child younger than 8 resulting in death and willful cruelty to a child. In police records, Dhillon said she did it to "prevent shame" for her family.
In court, Dhillon testified that she never handled the infant that night and she was only focused on her daughter's wellbeing.
Dhillon's daughter testified last week that while she was 15-years-old, she and her cousin, Mann, had a sexual relationship. She testified that on Nov. 12, 2018, she gave birth in secret in the bathroom. Due to blood loss, she was in and out of consciousness that night. When she awoke, Mann told her the baby had been given up for adoption, but months later she found out the baby was dead and buried in the backyard. That's when she told police what happened.
Dhillon testified this week that she did not drown the baby and spent the entire evening taking care of her daughter. She said that she was unaware of the sexual relationship between Mann and her daughter and only found out about the pregnancy after finding her daughter in the bathroom.
The baby’s body was discovered on Feb. 26, 2019. Police exhumed the body from a 2-foot hole in the family’s backyard on Shining Crag Avenue.
Mann fled shortly after Dhillon and her husband were arrested. His whereabouts are still unknown at this time.
Dhillon's husband, Jagsir Singh, hung himself in the family's home after he was released from police custody last year.
