In a deeply disturbing incident, the body of a newborn baby girl was discovered inside a toilet commode at Parasia civil hospital in Chhindwara district on Monday night. The grim find has triggered a police investigation and a desperate search for the infant's mother, while casting a harsh light on Madhya Pradesh's persistently high rates of infant abandonment.
A Tragic Discovery and Immediate Response
The matter came to light when a female hospital employee found a toilet was not flushing properly. Upon closer inspection, she saw the hand and head of a newborn infant wedged inside the commode. Hospital authorities were immediately alerted. A swift search was conducted across the Antenatal Care (ANC), Postnatal Care (PNC), and labour rooms to locate any woman who may have recently delivered and left without her baby. However, this search proved futile.
Police were then informed. Around 8 pm, with assistance from municipal workers and hospital staff, the toilet was broken open to retrieve the infant's mortal remains. Preliminary investigations suggest a pregnant woman likely entered the hospital during Outpatient Department (OPD) hours, delivered the baby inside the toilet cubicle, and then attempted to dispose of the body by flushing it before fleeing the premises.
Police Investigation and a Disturbing Pattern
Authorities have registered a case and are examining multiple lines of evidence. This includes scrutinizing CCTV footage from 26 cameras installed across the hospital, checking OPD registration records, and reviewing staff duty rosters to identify the woman. Notably, the specific toilet where the tragedy occurred did not have camera coverage. Police suspect social prejudices linked to the birth of a girl child may have motivated the act.
This incident is not an isolated one for Madhya Pradesh. It underscores a horrific and ongoing trend in the state. According to the Crime in India 2023 report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of infant abandonment cases in the country last year. The state reported a staggering 140 out of 653 such cases nationwide.
Madhya Pradesh's Grim National Record
Alarmingly, Madhya Pradesh has consistently topped this distressing national list for several years. The NCRB data reveals the state reported 187 cases in 2019, 186 in 2020, 159 in 2021, and 174 in 2022, before the 140 cases in 2023. The 2023 report also notes that the state recorded 20 cases of foeticide and 12 cases of infanticide.
The postmortem examination report of the newborn from the Parasia hospital incident is awaited, which will determine the further legal course of action. This tragic event in Chhindwara serves as a grim reminder of the severe social and administrative challenges surrounding infant safety and gender-based crimes in the region.
