Bengal minor gives birth in nursing home washroom, throws newborn out of window
New Delhi: A 16-year-old girl allegedly threw her newborn baby girl out of a second-floor washroom window minutes after giving birth unassisted at a private nursing home in West Bengal’s Hooghly district on Saturday, resulting in the infant’s death, news agency PTI reported, citing police.
The teenager was brought to the facility in Uttarpara late on Friday night after complaining of intense abdominal discomfort. According to investigators, her condition worsened the following morning, prompting her to walk into the toilet on her own, where she went into labour.
“Initial investigation revealed that the girl went to the washroom on Saturday morning after complaining of intensifying abdominal pain. She delivered a baby there without anybody’s assistance,” a senior officer attached to the Uttarpara police station told PTI. Nursing home authorities stated that shortly after the delivery, the minor flung the child straight through the washroom window.
A passer-by outside spotted the infant lying on the ground in a pool of blood and immediately alerted staff members. Although a duty nurse rushed downstairs to retrieve the child, she was declared dead on the spot.
Family claims ignorance over pregnancy
The girl’s relatives maintained that they had no idea she was pregnant when they brought her in. “The family members had brought her to the nursing home believing that she was suffering from nothing more than a bout of ordinary abdominal pain. We are verifying their claims,” the officer noted.
The teenager’s mother echoed this statement, telling reporters, “We had no clue that our daughter was pregnant. We brought her to the nursing home after she complained of severe abdominal pain last evening. This morning, we received a call from the hospital and came to know about the incident.”
However, nursing home owner Sucheta Mukherjee told reporters that their staff had raised suspicions during admission. “As her abdominal pain intensified on Saturday morning, she walked to the toilet on her own. She delivered the baby there without any assistance. She threw the newborn out through the window,” Mukherjee said, adding that staff had repeatedly asked the family whether she could be pregnant, which they denied.
Police initiate probe amid local allegations
Officers have launched an inquiry to reconstruct the exact sequence of events leading up to the infant’s death. “We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and appropriate action will be taken based on the findings. We will examine the nursing home’s CCTV footage and speak to the parents and other family members in this connection,” the police officer told PTI, adding that an autopsy on the newborn will be carried out.
Meanwhile, the incident has drawn sharp reactions from neighbours in the area. Several local residents alleged past irregularities on the premises. “This is quite a frequent occurrence. A foetus had been recovered from the premises earlier as well,” claimed local resident Sankha Subhra Banerjee.