A gynaecologist in Assam has gone underground for aborting a ‘dead’ foetus that was found to be alive for nine hours after ‘stillbirth’.
The police have launched a hunt for Guwahati-based Rumki Paul, who made Eliza Begum undergo an abortion at the government-run primary health centre (PHC) in Kharupetia, 85km northeast of Guwahati. Paul had allegedly diagnosed as dead the five-month-old foetus Eliza was carrying, and advised her to go for abortion as her life was in danger.
“She charged R3,000 from us for the abortion, but the baby was far from dead,” a member of Eliza’s family said. He added Paul handed us the ‘dead’ baby in a plastic bag and returned to the labour room. “But we found the baby was alive and moving, and when we told the doctor, she ignored us and went off in a hurry,” he said.
A PHC attendant said the premature baby could not make it beyond nine hours of forced birth. “The victim’s kin lodged a complaint and we registered a case against her under five sections of the IPC including one related to causing death of quick unborn child by act amounting to culpable homicide,” a police officer said from Kharupetia.
The police raided Paul’s house in Guwahati and several other locations but failed to locate her.
{{/usCountry}}The police raided Paul’s house in Guwahati and several other locations but failed to locate her.
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