Pediatrician charged with murdering daughter and staging drowning

In June 2025, Dr. Neha Gupta, a 36-year-old pediatrician from Oklahoma City, was arrested in Oklahoma following a tragic incident involving her four-year-old daughter, Aria Talathi. The two were on vacation in El Portal, Florida, when Gupta called 911 at approximately 3:40 a.m. to report her daughter drowning in a residential pool. Upon arrival, emergency responders found Aria unresponsive in the deep end and despite attempts at resuscitation, she was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly thereafter. Initially deemed a tragic accident, further investigation led to suspicions regarding the circumstances of the child's death and ultimately to Gupta's arrest. An autopsy revealed that there was no water found in the child's lungs or stomach, indicating that she had likely died before being placed in the pool. Additionally, injuries consistent with smothering were discovered, contradicting Gupta's previous claims regarding the nature of the events that night. The investigation revealed Gupta had been fired from her medical position a month prior to the incident and that she and her ex-husband were embroiled in a custody battle over their daughter, with concerns about Gupta's mental state having been raised previously. As she awaits extradition to Miami-Dade County, Gupta faces serious legal consequences, reflecting the devastating and complex nature of the case.