BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The trial for Beant Dhillon, the woman accused of drowning her infant grandson just after he was born, was postponed Wednesday after a juror failed to show for court.
The judge excused the jury and said the trial will resume at 9:30 a.m. Monday.
Dhillon is facing life in prison over the death of her grandson, who was drowned shortly after his birth on Nov. 12, 2018. According to police reports, Dhillon confessed to drowning her grandson in order to "prevent shame" for her family.
During her testimony Tuesday, Dhillon told the court that the confession she gave to police was false and she only took the blame to protect her nephew and the baby's supposed father, Bakhshinderpal Singh Mann.
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.
