Newborn Dies After Mother Abandons Baby In Water-Filled Drain 3 Days After Birth

A newborn baby died after his mother reportedly abandoned him in a water-filled drain in India.

The incident took place in the western state of Rajasthan.

The police said Sunday the accused, identified as 28-year-old Rekhabai, was partially intellectually challenged. The woman was admitted to a government hospital, where she gave birth to a child Wednesday. She was discharged from the hospital Friday evening, NDTV reported, citing Press Trust of India.

Late that night, Rekhabai allegedly took her baby out of the house when her in-laws were asleep, and abandoned the child in a ditch, the police said. Her husband Kalulal Lodha was out of the village to appear for an examination, Amar Ujala reported [Google Translate showed].

Rekhabai later told the police she had abandoned her baby, and also showed them the drain, following which the authorities recovered the child's body.

A complaint was then filed by Rekhabai's father-in-law in the local police station. She has been charged under section 317 of the Indian Penal Code. Authorities said they were yet to arrest the accused in the case, and added it remains unclear why she decided to abandon her child.

Rekhabai and her husband have been married for around eight years, and have a 7-year-old son, a senior police officer told local media.

Last month, a newborn baby was found abandoned in a sack with a colony of ants all over him. The incident took place in Bareilly, a city in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. A resident of the locality heard a baby crying on June 11, and found the infant inside a garbage dump. The baby still had his umbilical cord attached. The newborn was admitted to a hospital, where doctors said it was a “miracle” the child survived after “almost being eaten alive by ants,” The Times of India reported. The baby was later moved to a different hospital as he was facing breathing issues. “The baby was prematurely born and has some breathing issues. We have admitted him to a private hospital to ensure best possible treatment. We have reported this issue to the police, and efforts are on to locate his parents. The act of the woman in the video endangered the life of the child, and we will take appropriate acton against her as per the law,” Dinesh Chandra, chairman of Child Welfare Committee, said.