The image haunted the courtroom: Akanksha Adivarekar, a woman once defined by success, now facing the consequences of an unimaginable act. She had taken the life of her young son, Agustya, a tragedy shrouded in the complexities of mental illness and profound despair.
Adivarekar confessed to ending her son’s life, claiming she sought to relieve his suffering. Psychiatrists later determined this devastating decision stemmed from a severe manic episode, a terrifying descent into a reality detached from reason. The details revealed a horrific scene – Agustya had suffered eleven stab wounds to the neck, and evidence pointed to the use of a corrosive substance.
The court heard accusations leveled against her husband, swiftly investigated and ultimately dismissed by police. There was no evidence to support the claims, leaving only the raw, unbearable grief of a father who had lost everything.
He stood before the court, his voice thick with emotion, describing Agustya as “everything to me,” and acknowledging the simultaneous loss of his wife. The pain, he stated, was beyond description. Yet, amidst the devastation, he offered forgiveness, expressing a hope for Akanksha’s future recovery and a life lived with dignity – a hope he believed would be the true justice for both his son and himself.
Adivarekar, throughout the proceedings, remained stoic, her gaze fixed forward, surrounded by staff from the Littlemore Mental Health Centre. Her past life, a stark contrast to the present, unfolded in fragments. She had been a qualified dentist in Mumbai, India, before building a new life in the UK with her husband.
Before the tragedy, Adivarekar had established herself professionally, working as a healthcare consultant and later in the HR department of Burnham Grammar School. The school boasted notable alumni, yet her career path was subtly shifting, marked by emerging difficulties in workplace relationships.
A psychologist testified that Adivarekar’s mental health had been deteriorating earlier in the year, impacting her work performance. This gradual decline culminated in the horrific act that brought her before the court, a desperate cry for help masked by unimaginable violence.
Judge Michael Grieve acknowledged the profound tragedy, stating that Adivarekar needed treatment, not punishment. He recognized the inherent, lifelong pain she would endure as a result of her actions. Agustya, he emphasized, was a happy, well-adjusted child with no welfare concerns, and the act was born not of malice, but of a fractured mind.
The judge poignantly stated that Agustya’s death was the last thing Adivarekar would have ever wanted in a sane state of mind. Ultimately, she was sentenced to a hospital order under the Mental Health Act, a recognition of her diminished responsibility and a commitment to providing the care she desperately needed.
The case stands as a heartbreaking testament to the devastating impact of mental illness, a tragedy leaving behind a shattered family and a community grappling with unimaginable loss.
