An Oklahoma doctor, presumably of Indian-origin, has been arrested and charged for murdering her 4-year-old daughter in South Florida. She is also believed to have staged the young girl’s drowning.
A news release by Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office indicated that preliminary investigation into the case indicated that 36-year-old Dr Neha Gupta and her daughter, Aria Talathi, travelled from Oklahoma City to Florida recently. During their brief stay, they were staying at a rental in El Portal, a village in Miami-Dade County.
Gupta’s arrest follows a June 27 incident when police responded to an early 4:30 am report of a child drowning in a residential pool at the Florida location. Although rescue authorities took the 4-year-old to a local hospital, she was ultimately pronounced dead at the facility.
Local US media reports suggested that as per Dr Neha Gupta’s account, she ad her daughter arrived at the location on June 25. An arrest warrant further detailed that Aria’s father, who shares custody with the Oklahoma doctor, had no knowledge of the mother taking her to Florida. The official document also mentioned that security video visuals confirmed that Neha Gupta and Aria Talathi were the only two people at the short-term rental property.
Indian-origin doctor arrested in Oklahoma
Despite the alleged crime having taken place in South Florida, Miami-Dade authorities obtained an arrest warrant and travelled to Oklahoma. They nabbed Gupta with the help of the Oklahoma City Police Department and the US Marshals Service.
As per the warrant, the doctor said that her daughter accidentally drowned on slipping out of bed at night. On the contrary, an autopsy claimed that no traces of water were found in her lungs of stomach, which led officials to rule out drowning as the girl’s cause of death.
According to the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office, signs of trauma were also spotted in the 4-year-old mouth and cheeks. These aligned with asphyxiation, which basically refers to the state of being deprived of oxygen, in case of suffocation. And so, the warrant brings up smothering as a potential cause of death.
As of now, investigators believe that Gupta staged Aria’s death to appear that she died by drowning. At the time, she claimed to have tried to help her child for ten minutes before calling the police.
What do we know about Dr Neha Gupta?
The 36-year-old licensed pediatrician taken into custody in Oklahoma city is a doctor at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health. According to her LinkedIn, she was also an assistant professor at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Centre. She’s also been a resident at the Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Centre in the past and holds the Fellow title in connection with University of Alabama at Birmingham.
In the wake of her arrest and her alleged crime, OU Health and the University of Oklahoma issued a joint statement, relieving her from her duties. “Dr Neha Gupta was suspended from patient care, given notice of termination, and was no longer seeing patients at the health system as of May 30, 2025. She has also been given notice of termination by the University,” the statement read.
Neha Gupta’s conflicted family life
Homicide detective have since discovered that Gupta was locked in a bitter custody battle with her ex-husband, Dr Saurabh Talathi, according to the Miami Herald. They filed for divorce in 2022, which was ultimately finalised last year. Neha Gupta was eventually denied request for sole custody of their daughter.
An attorney tied to the case described the legal battle over their 4-year-old daughter’s custody “highly contentious.” They also highlighted that it involved “aggressive tactics” and “protracted proceedings,” as per court records.
The 36-year-old doctor previously accused Saurabh of domestic violence. Although she received a temporary protective order against him, it was later dismissed after her accusation could not be proved right.
Neha Gupta’s attorneys speak out
As per the sheriff’s office, Neha Gupta’s extradition to Miami-Dade County since the Oklahoma arrest is pending. Officials maintained that they plan to accept the first-degree murder charge against her.
Her legal team maintained her innocence, saying, “What could be more devastating than losing your daughter in tragic accident, only to then be jailed and accused of causing her death? Dr. Gupta did not kill her daughter,” as per WSVN.
She is currently in custody in Oklahoma.