Mother Accused Of Drowning Daughter Also Accused Of Rape

Anul Ram, the woman charged in the death of her 3-year-old daughter, also faces a special circumstance allegation of rape in the case.

According to court documents obtained by KCRA 3, the Sacramento County District Attorney's office alleges "that the murder of Divya Ram was committed by Anul Ram, while the said defendant was engaged in the commission of the crime of rape."

Sacramento police said Ram drowned her daughter, Divya, in their Greenhaven apartment on Nov.15.

Police said they received a call from the child's father asking for a welfare check on his two children, a 7-year-old boy and the daughter. Both had been picked up from his home by their mother, his estranged wife.

Police said the father called them back about a half hour later, saying that he believed his wife might have killed their daughter.

When police arrived at the mother's home, they found the child unresponsive. The girl was taken to UC Davis Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

The Sacramento County Coroner's office told KCRA Thursday that the cause of the girl's death is still pending. Budget cuts have delayed autopsy reports by as much as five months. Once the autopsy is completed, the cause of death would be released. However, the autopsy report itself would not be released until the murder charge is adjudicated.

Calls to the Sacramento County District Attorney and Ram's public defender were not immediately returned to KCRA 3.

Ram, a licensed vocational nurse, remains in the Sacramento County Main Jail on no bail.

She is due back in court March 22 for a settlement conference.

- Tom Lee