Infant found dead in oven in South Delhi

It was not immediately clear how the body landed in oven.

A two-month-old baby was allegedly found dead inside a microwave oven in Chirag Dilli area of south Delhi on Monday evening, police said. The oven, however, was out of order.

When HT contacted the neighbour said that he was being “unnecessarily dragged” into the controversy. (Unsplash)

It was not immediately clear how the body landed in oven.

Benita Mary Jaiker, the DCP (south Delhi), said around 5pm, the police received information from a hospital about the death of a two-month-old girl from Chirag Dilli. “The father and uncle of the baby run a small grocery shop on the ground floor of their house. It appears to be a case of murder, but the cause of death is yet to be ascertained. We have been informed that some neighbour spotted the girl in the oven, but there were no burn injuries to the body of the baby girl,” she said, adding investigation is on.

She said that the incident was being probed from all angles and a case of murder has been registered against unknown persons. “After the post-mortem report, the facts about the incident will be clearer,” Jaiker said.

Officers aware of the case details said a neighbour has alleged that the body was found in the oven, and there seems to be some foul play involved, but added that they were questioning the parents of the girl and waiting for the autopsy report to take further action in the case.

One neighbour of the family had alleged that the girl’s mother strangled her and then put her body in the oven. However, DCP Jaiker said the police were investigating all claims and rejected rumours that the baby was “burnt” inside the oven. “We are examining all claims and evidence. So far, nobody has been arrested,” she said.

When HT contacted the neighbour said that he was being “unnecessarily dragged” into the controversy.

“How can we allege that the girl was strangled by someone in a room which is out of our sight? We are unnecessarily being dragged into controversy,” the neighbour said asking not to be named.