A week after receiving a complaint regarding a suspected female infanticide in Mandalanayanagunda village in Tirupattur district, a forensic team from Vellore Government Medical College Hospital on Tuesday exhumed the body of an infant who her parents buried near their house. The body was sent for post mortem.
A team, led by Additional Superintendent of Police S. Govindarajan, and Tirupattur Tasildar K. Nagarajan, inspected the spot. Police said the baby, Kaviyaazhini, 11 months old, was the fourth girl child of G. Rajkumar (38) of Mandalanayanagunda village and his wife, R. Muthulakshmi (32). The family lives in a small house along with G. Pachaiammal (65), Rajkumar’s mother. Rajkumar works at a sweet shop in the village.
Police said that on June 11, the couple visited the Primary Health Care Centre (PHC) at Gajelnaickenpatti village with their baby and told health officials at the centre that the newborn had not been doing well for the past few days. She was administered an injection, and the couple returned home with the baby. A week later, on June 17, the couple visited the PHC again with the baby girl, claiming that she was unwell. After a routine checkup and giving a health tonic at the centre, the couple went home, where the newborn died around midnight.
Police said the couple hurriedly buried the baby near their house. As part of the routine check of newborns for vaccination programmes, K. Chitra (34), Village Health Nurse (VHN), was told by the couple that the baby girl died the previous night.
As per norms, VHN Chitra informed C. Usha Devi, medical officer (MO) of the health centre, about the incident. After a preliminary inquiry, Ms. Devi filed a complaint with Kandali police on July 7 on suspected female infanticide. A case was registered under Section 194 (unnatural death) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The body was exhumed in the presence of revenue officials and police. A medical team by medical officer J. Balaji of Vellore Government Medical College and Hospital, conducted a postmortem and the body was once again buried. Police sources said that further investigation will be conducted based on the results of the postmortem.
