Doctor Charged with Child Manslaughter in Pool Drowning

A doctor from Louisiana has been arrested and charged with first-degree aggravated manslaughter of a child in connection with the drowning of a 7-year-old boy in Orlando, Florida. Sukanthini Subbiah, 48, is accused by the Orlando Police Department of allowing Khushil Bandi to drown on April 10, allegedly failing to intervene for more than five minutes while the child was submerged in a swimming pool.

Subbiah was visiting her mother in Orlando with her own 7-year-old son when the incident occurred. Khushil, who lived in the neighborhood, had become friends with Subbiah's son and his twin sister. Subbiah had taken the children to a nearby pool with the permission of Khushil's mother.

According to Subbiah's statements to police, the children immediately entered the pool. She told authorities that she noticed Khushil underwater for about 45 seconds. She then asked her son and Khushil's twin sister to retrieve him, but they indicated the water was too deep. Subbiah claimed she requested help from another man at the pool, who then pulled the unconscious Khushil from the water. She initially told police about two minutes passed between noticing Khushil underwater and asking for help.

However, investigators reviewing surveillance footage and witness interviews presented a different timeline. Police stated that the group arrived at the pool at 6:19 p.m. Shortly after, Subbiah was seen walking away from the pool area as Khushil entered. By 6:20 p.m., Khushil was in the center of the pool, splashing vigorously. Subbiah returned to the pool's edge seven seconds later but did not appear to notice the boy. Approximately one minute later, Khushil stopped splashing and sank to the bottom.

Another minute and a half passed before Subbiah approached the edge of the water and was observed "standing and staring at the center of the pool." According to police, she continued to do nothing for an additional minute. It was only after Khushil's friend, DJ, asked "What happened to him?" that Subbiah entered the water, stopping at knee-deep. At this point, Khushil had been underwater for five minutes and two seconds, police reported.

Nearly another minute elapsed before Subbiah sought assistance from another man at the pool. He retrieved Khushil within 50 seconds. The total time Khushil was submerged before being removed from the water was seven minutes and two seconds.

Khushil was transported to a hospital in critical condition. Three days later, on April 17, he was taken off life support and pronounced dead after hospital staff reported he had no brain activity, brain swelling, and was experiencing seizures. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as complications of drowning.

During police interviews, Subbiah reportedly stated she "froze" and felt she was "going to pass out" upon realizing the extended submersion time. She also indicated she believed she was not strong enough to pull the child from the water. Investigators noted that Subbiah, as a doctor, would be aware that two minutes of breath-holding by a young child is an extreme duration. The arrest occurred six months after the drowning, following an investigation that included re-enacting the event and interviewing witnesses, including the children present, Khushil's parents, Subbiah, her mother, and first responders.

Investigators concluded that Subbiah had the opportunity to prevent the fatal outcome. "The significance of Subbiah's inaction cannot be overstated," the affidavit stated. "Assistance was immediately available in the form of the adult entrusted with his care, standing at the edge of the pool."

Subbiah is being held without bond in the Orange County Jail. She faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted.