A Granger woman was sentenced to 46 years in prison on Monday, March 30. Purvi Patel, 33, was found guilty in February of feticide and neglect of a dependent causing death. She will spend 20 years in prison and an additional 10 years will be suspended. When she is released from prison, she will spend five years on probation. She was also sentenced to six years in prison on the feticide charge, but that will be served concurrently with the 20 year sentence.
Patel’s lawyer argued there was no proof Patel either received or took such drugs. Patel said during the trial that the baby was lifeless when it was born, but she tried to revive it. She didn’t call 911 because she was in shock, but she opened its mouth and tried to revive it. She said she put the infant in a plastic bag because she didn’t know what else to do.
Doctors testified that they estimated she was about six months pregnant. A former friend of Patel testified that she was only two months pregnant. She could have been sentenced to up to 70 years in prison, according to Indiana sentencing guidelines.
