CHENNAI: Watching instructions on a

video, a man vainly tried to help his

give birth to a child in a forest area at Gummidipoondi near Chennai on Wednesday. But while he was pulling the baby out, one of its hands got severed.

When his girlfriend, aged 19 years, started to bleed, Soundar, 26, who is a gas agency employee, made her ride pillion on his motorcycle and admitted her to Government Hospital in

, 12km away.

A team of doctors operated her and removed the stillborn baby. Police said the woman was in a critical condition.

The man was arrested.