One-day-old baby, MP couple's 3rd daughter, strangled inside hospital
What's the story
A one-day-old infant was allegedly strangled to death at the Ashoknagar district hospital in Madhya Pradesh. The baby was the third daughter of a couple from a village in Sakrra in the Chanderi area. She was born around 11:50pm on Friday and was shifted to the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) for medical monitoring shortly after birth.
Discovery
Baby had marks on neck when mother noticed them
On Saturday afternoon, the baby's mother noticed marks on her neck and blood coming from her mouth. She immediately informed her mother-in-law.
The baby was then taken to a doctor who declared her dead.
Hospital records show only the mother and grandmother visited the baby in the SNCU. The father had left for their village with his aunt on Saturday morning.
Investigation underway
Police suspect either mother or grandmother might be involved
The police are now investigating the case and suspect either the mother or grandmother might be involved in the strangulation.
Kotwali police station house officer Ravipratap Singh Chauhan said, "We are investigating the death and strongly suspect that either the child's mother or grandmother was involved in the strangulation."
However, there were no CCTV cameras inside SNCU to capture any footage of this incident.
Infanticide statistics
Disturbing trend of infanticide in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh recorded 12 cases of infanticide in 2023 out of 67 such cases, making it the second highest in India after Haryana.
The state also recorded 20 cases of foeticide out of a nationwide total of 88, ranking second after Chhattisgarh.
Furthermore, Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of newborn abandonments in India, with 140 cases out of a national total of 653.