Newborn found in toilet, inquiry ordered
Woman and child development department, Madhya Pradesh government has initiated an inquiry to know if woman’s newborn baby found in a septic tank was a result of an accident or crime in Sheopur. Police are already looking into the matter.
Woman and child development department, Madhya Pradesh government has initiated an inquiry to know if woman’s newborn baby found in a septic tank was a result of an accident or crime in Sheopur. Police are already looking into the matter.
A resident of Bagroda village of Sheopur, Papita Gurjar, 23, gave birth to a girl child allegedly in a toilet on Wednesday evening. Later, she came out in a sub-conscious state and complained of stomach pain, according to police.
The family members didn’t notice the birth of the girl child and took Papita to a community health centre in Vijaypur where on-duty Dr Ashok Khare informed the family members that a delivery had taken place.
According to police, when the doctor inquired with the woman, she replied that the baby girl was delivered in the toilet and she didn’t inform anyone as she was scared of the family members. However, she didn’t explain why she was scared of them.
Dr Khare said, “We swung into action and sent a team of hospital staff to her home and recovered the baby from uncovered septic tank near the toilet. The baby girl is healthy.
However, a health department official said, “The matter is dubious because the baby girl weighs 3.5 kg and it is not possible that she slipped into the septic tank through the narrow outlet of the toilet seat. Also, the umbilical cord was cut down raising a question how it was done when the baby, as per the woman’s account, slipped into the tank immediately after the birth.”
After the incident came to light, police inquired with the family members.
The family members, however, said the woman was mentally unstable. Hence, she might not have been aware of the delivery when it took place.
Neighbours, however, informed the police that she was mentally stable and they never found any problem in her attitude.
Sheopur superintendent of police Shiv Dayal said, “A joint inquiry of police and woman and child development department is being conducted. The family members couldn’t show to us any medical report regarding the woman being mentally unstable.”
“No case has been registered yet but if we find a mala fide intention and criminal conspiracy during the probe, a case will be registered against the family members,” he added.
After the incident, the local media persons tried to contact the woman but the family members didn’t allow anybody to talk to her.
Papita’s husband Ghanshyam Gurjar is a labourer and lives in some other city.