Toddler's body find sparks double homicide probe

The body of a woman - believed to be the mother of toddler Anna Sangha (pictured) - was found last night. Photo / Supplied

Police are now investigating a double homicide after the discovery this afternoon of the body of a 18-month-old girl hidden in a Tauranga house.

The girl has been named as Anna Sangha and she is believed to be the daughter of a 32-year-old Indian woman, whose body was discovered in the same house, in the suburb of Otumoetai, late yesterday afternoon after a tip off from Counties Manukau police.

The woman has yet to be named.

Police conducted an extensive search of the surrounding area, hoping to find the girl alive.

"The house was initially searched, mindful of preserving the integrity of the evidence in the crime scene," Western Bay of Plenty police area commander, Inspector Mike Clement said this afternoon.

"The body of the young child was concealed and was found during a detailed search of the house.

"This is a tragic outcome, and one that I think we were all hoping might turn out differently. Until circumstances determined otherwise, it was appropriate that a wider search was undertaken."

Mr Clement said neither body had yet been formally identified and next of kin were still being advised.

A family member, believed to be the husband of the dead woman, is currently travelling back to New Zealand.

A 23-year-old Indian man was charged with the woman's murder when he appeared in Counties Manukau District Court this afternoon.

He was granted interim name suppression and remanded to reappear in Tauranga District Court on Thursday when further charges are likely to be laid.

Police expected the bodies to be removed this evening and taken to Auckland for post-mortem examinations. Until then they will not confirm how the pair died.

Twenty-five investigators were working on the homicide investigation, while a large number of search and rescue volunteers were involved in the search operation last night and today, Mr Clement said.


- NZPA

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