MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A former pediatrician from Oklahoma accused of killing her 4-year-old daughter at a rental home in El Portal neighborhood is scheduled to be arraigned next month and will remain in custody without bond, a Miami-Dade County judge ruled Friday.
Dr. Neha Gupta, 36, is facing one count of first-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Aria Talathi, who detectives say was found unresponsive in a swimming pool at a short-term rental home in El Portal on June 27.
Gupta had claimed the child accidentally drowned, but the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office determined Aria was smothered to death.
“This is a non-bondable offense,” a judge said during Friday’s court hearing, affirming Gupta’s continued detention. Prosecutors withdrew their pretrial detention motion after the no bond ruling.
Gupta’s attorney, Michael Mirer, said his client maintains her innocence and described the child’s death as “a tragic accident.”
“This is a mother who is devastated by the loss of her child,” Mirer said.
According to an arrest report, Gupta told investigators she woke up to a strange noise around 3:30 a.m., realized her daughter was missing from bed, and found her in the backyard pool.
She claimed to have attempted CPR for about 10 minutes before calling 911, despite not knowing how to swim.
However, investigators said Gupta’s story unraveled quickly. The autopsy revealed no water in the girl’s lungs or stomach — ruling out drowning — and noted injuries in the child’s mouth consistent with smothering.
Detectives also cited inconsistencies in Gupta’s statements and surveillance footage that reportedly contradicted her timeline of events.
“The subject attempted to conceal the killing of the deceased victim by staging an accidental drowning,” investigators wrote in the report.
Aria’s father, Dr. Saurabh Talathi, told police he had no knowledge that Gupta had taken their daughter out of state.
Court records obtained by Local 10 News show the two had finalized their divorce earlier this year and were engaged in a custody dispute at the time of Aria’s death.
Talathi had also raised concerns about Gupta’s mental health in prior filings, requesting an evaluation “to ensure the safety of the minor child.”
Authorities said Gupta was arrested in Oklahoma City on July 10 with the help of the U.S. Marshals Service. She was extradited to Miami-Dade County, where she is now being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Her arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 7.
Gupta had worked as a pediatrician at OU Health, but was suspended and later terminated after the arrest. The University of Oklahoma confirmed she is no longer affiliated with its health system.
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