A disturbing incident has emerged from a hospital in Ashoknagar, Madhya Pradesh, where a newborn girl was strangled to death inside the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU). Following the discovery of the infant's body inside the medical facility, authorities disclosed on Sunday that suspicion points heavily toward the child's own mother or grandmother. Investigators are examining whether deep-seated prejudice against having another female child prompted the crime inside what should have been a secure care unit.
Infant Found Dead in Special Care Unit Hours After Birth
The victim was born around 11:50 pm on Friday night into a joint family residing in Sakra village under the Chanderi area. Immediately after her delivery, the newborn was shifted to the hospital's SNCU for specialized monitoring. Ravipratap Singh Chauhan, in-charge of the Kotwali police station, stated that the infant was found dead inside the unit between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Saturday afternoon. The occurrence of a fatal assault inside a monitored ward has raised severe concerns regarding institutional oversight.
Police Focus Investigation on Mother and Grandmother
According to the investigating officers, both the newborn's mother and grandmother were present inside the SNCU during the critical hours. Station in-charge Ravipratap Singh Chauhan noted that police are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the death and have strong suspicions that either the mother or the grandmother was responsible for strangling the child, with suspicion pointing mostly toward the mother.
Delving into the family structure revealed that the deceased child was her parents' second daughter. Her father's elder brother had one daughter from his first wife, though he has no children from his second wife. Consequently, the newborn was the third daughter in the broader joint household. The investigating officer stated that there is a very high probability that the family killed the infant to get rid of her simply because she represented the third girl in the family. Police personnel are recording statements and collecting forensic evidence to definitively establish responsibility.
Autopsy Indicates Strangulation Amid Missing Camera Coverage
A crucial breakthrough in the case came when the doctor performing the post-mortem examination observed clear marks around the newborn's neck, strongly indicating strangulation. While formal administrative receipt of the full post-mortem report remains awaited, physical signs pointed toward deliberate foul play. Investigators have faced challenges due to the total absence of CCTV cameras within the SNCU, leaving no direct visual recordings of the movements inside the ward. Police are probing the precise motive and sequence of events leading to the asphyxiation, working to identify the specific perpetrator through witness testimonies.
Statistics Highlight Prevalence of Infanticide in the Region
The incident reflects a broader and troubling pattern of crimes against newborns. According to data from 2023, as many as 67 cases of infanticide were registered across India, out of which Madhya Pradesh accounted for 12 cases, ranking second in the country behind Haryana.
Furthermore, foeticide figures from the same year showed 88 incidents nationwide, with Madhya Pradesh reporting 20 cases, placing the state second behind Chhattisgarh. The state also recorded alarming numbers regarding the abandonment of newborns, logging 140 such instances out of a national total of 653, making it the highest among all Indian states in abandoned infant cases.
