NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
Miami, FL, July 31, 2025: An Oklahoma pediatrician accused of killing her four-year-old daughter and staging the death as a drowning at a South Florida vacation rental has been denied bond, according to Miami-Dade court records.
Dr. Neha Gupta, 41, was arrested in Oklahoma City on July 1 and extradited to Florida earlier this month. She faces first-degree murder charges in the death of her daughter, Aria Talathi, whose body was found in a pool at a rental property in the village of El Portal on June 27.
Investigators allege that Gupta smothered the child and placed her in the pool to make it appear as though she drowned. An autopsy found no water in the child’s lungs or stomach, but did reveal bruising inside her cheeks and lacerations to her mouth, injuries authorities say are consistent with asphyxiation rather than accidental drowning.
During her bond hearing, prosecutors cited inconsistencies in Gupta’s statements about the events of that night. Gupta told police she had fallen asleep around 12:30 a.m. and awoke three hours later to find the sliding door open and her daughter missing. She claimed she attempted to rescue Aria from the pool despite not being able to swim. Detectives questioned this timeline and noted other details that raised suspicion, including evidence of a custody dispute.
The mother and daughter had traveled from Oklahoma to Miami just days earlier and were staying in an Airbnb rental. Following the incident, Gupta returned to Oklahoma, where she was later taken into custody by U.S. Marshals. Bodycam footage of her arrest, which was recently released, shows Gupta hiding in a laundry room as officers entered her home.
Gupta’s attorney, Richard Cooper, has maintained her innocence and criticized the investigation as rushed and circumstantial. “There is no direct evidence proving she harmed her child,” Cooper said in court, arguing for her release on bond. The judge denied the request, citing the severity of the charge and the strength of the evidence presented by prosecutors.
Gupta remains in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County. She is scheduled to be arraigned on August 7.
