Court documents shed new light into the case of the Oklahoma pediatrician accused of killing her 4-year-old
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Court documents shed light on new details into the events that led up to the arrest of Neha Gupta, an OU Health pediatrician, accused of staging the drowning of her 4-year-old daughter, Aria Talathi.
Aria was found in the pool unresponsive in Florida, at a short-term rental property where the two were staying.
According to an autopsy report in the arrest warrant, the medical examiner did not find water in her lungs or stomach and had cuts and bruising in her mouth consistent with smothering.
According to Oklahoma court documents, Aria's father filed for divorce in 2022. During the lengthy proceedings, documents show Aria's father requested a psych evaluation on Gupta due to concerns over her behavior with the child.
The document says, "that an evaluation of her mental health is crucial to ensure the safety of the minor child,"
Aria's father has been fighting for custody and was awarded temporary sole custody in March of this year, according to court documents.
In April, a report from a parenting coordinator notes concerns over parental behavior after a call came in to their office from Aria's daycare. The document says that the "Mother was creating chaos at the school with her actions."
According to the arrest warrant from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, Aria's father did not travel to Florida with them, saying he was "unaware that the child had left the state of Oklahoma."
Detectives in Florida say in the arrest warrant that the autopsy contradicts the statement provided by Gupta, leading them to believe that she "caused the death" and "attempted to conceal the killing by staging an accidental drowning."
The 4-year-old's death happened a month after Gupta was let go from OU Health. This is the statement they provided:
Dr. Neha Gupta was suspended from patient care, given notice of termination, and was no longer seeing patients at the health system as of May 30, 2025. She has also been given notice of termination by the University.
Joint Statement on behalf of OU Health and the University of Oklahoma
Her photo was on the website Wednesday as an active staff member, it was removed after we called for a statement.
Aria's father is also an OU Health pediatrician; his photo is no longer on the website either. The reason for the removal is unknown.
Gupta's attorneys provided the following statement:
We are waiting for the facts to come to light. An autopsy was performed over the weekend. The toxicology reports aren’t back yet. We’re eager to know why the Miami Dade Sheriff’s Office seemingly felt so sure to arrest and charge a grieving mother when all other signs point to a simple tragic accident
Richard Cooper, co-counsel Michael Mier
Neha Gupta is currently in custody in the Oklahoma County Jail. On July 3, a waiver for extradition was filed.