Newborn strangled in MP hospital, kin suspected
A newborn girl was allegedly strangled to death inside the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of a hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Ashoknagar district, with police suspecting the involvement of her mother or grandmother. The incident has raised questions over the safety and monitoring of newborns inside the hospital’s restricted-care facility.
The baby, reportedly the third girl in the joint family, was born around 11:50 pm on Friday to a family from Sakrra village in the Chanderi area. She was admitted to the SNCU shortly after birth for medical care. According to police, the newborn was found dead between 3 pm and 4 pm on Saturday.
Kotwali police said investigators were questioning the circumstances surrounding the death. Police suspect either the child’s mother or grandmother was involved, as both were present at the SNCU. The mother is currently under greater suspicion, according to the police.
A post-mortem examination found marks around the newborn’s neck, indicating strangulation. Compression marks were also reportedly observed on the neck. The final autopsy findings are awaited, and police are collecting evidence to establish how the infant died and who was responsible.
The investigation has been complicated by the absence of CCTV cameras inside the SNCU. As a result, there is no video footage showing what happened to the newborn during the period when she was in the unit. Police are examining the statements of hospital staff and family members and are trying to establish who had access to the child.
Civil Surgeon Dr BP Tyagi said there was no record of relatives other than the baby’s mother and grandmother visiting the newborn inside the unit. The grandmother had reportedly taken the baby to feed her milk. The baby’s father and other family members were also present at the hospital, and investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding their presence and movements.
Police are also investigating the possible motive. Investigators have raised the possibility that the baby may have been targeted because she was the third female child in the family. However, this remains a line of investigation and has not been conclusively established as the motive.
The incident has brought renewed attention to concerns surrounding female infanticide and the abandonment of newborn girls. According to data cited in reports, Madhya Pradesh recorded 12 cases of infanticide in 2023, while the state also recorded cases of foeticide and newborn abandonment.
Police said the investigation is continuing and statements are being recorded. The final post-mortem report and other evidence will be examined before determining the circumstances of the death and taking further legal action.
