Abandoned newborn girl found dead inside toilet at govt hospital
- trushali Kotecha
- 12 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Amarjeet Singh | Dec 17, 2025, 23:50 IST
Bhopal: In a tragic turn of events, the mortal remains of a newborn girl was found wedged inside a toilet commode at Parasia civil hospital in Chhindwara district on Monday night, prompting a police investigation and a search for the mother.
The incident has yet again drawn a spotlight on Madhya Pradesh's grim record on infant abandonment, with NCRB data showing that the state has reported the highest number of such cases in the country for several years.
The matter came to light when a woman employee noticed that the toilet did not flush and, on checking inside the commode, saw the newborn's hand and head. Hospital authorities were informed, and a search was conducted in the ANC, PNC, and labour rooms to trace any woman who may have delivered a child and left without the baby, but none was found.
Police were then alerted, and with the help of municipal workers and hospital staff, the toilet was broken and the body retrieved around 8 pm.
Preliminary inquiry indicates that a pregnant woman likely sneaked into the hospital during OPD hours, delivered the baby inside the toilet, and attempted to dispose of the body by flushing it before leaving the premises. Police suspect the act may be linked to social factors related to the birth of a girl child. A case has been registered, and CCTV footage from 26 cameras installed across the hospital, along with OPD registers and staff duty records, was being examined to identify the woman. The toilet where the infant was found dead did not have a camera.
According to the Crime in India 2023 report released by the National Crime Records Bureau, in September, Madhya Pradesh topped the country in infant abandonment last year, with a staggering 140 cases, out of 653 reported nationwide.
The state has been topping the list since 2019, reporting 187 cases in 2019, 186 in 2020, 159 in 2021, and 174 in 2022. The NCRB data also shows that Madhya Pradesh recorded 20 cases of foeticide in 2023 and 12 cases of infanticide. Police said the postmortem report will determine the further course of action in connection with the incident.
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