20-yr-old Kerala woman delivers in bathroom, baby’s body found in plastic bag

The Idukki police have registered a case of unnatural death.

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On Tuesday, the Murickassery Police Station in Kerala’s Idukki district received a call from a man, claiming that his female friend had delivered a baby in her bathroom. Based on the call, the police reached her house in Vathikkudy near Cheruthoni, and found the woman in a critical condition and the dead body of her newborn in a plastic bag.

According to the police, the woman, a 20-year-old student of a college in Kattappana, managed to conceal her pregnancy from her family members and friends. “On Tuesday night, the woman delivered the child in her bathroom. She then apprised her male friend of the situation and sought his help to abandon the body of the newborn. The friend, who first did not believe her, asked her to send the picture of the newborn. As soon as she sent the pictures on WhatsApp, he alerted us,” Thodupuzha Deputy Superintendent of Police (SP) KP Jose told TNM.

The police admitted the woman, who was in a serious condition, to the Medical College in Idukki. She was later shifted to the Kottayam Medical College for further treatment. She has been placed under police custody.

The post-mortem of the newborn was also conducted at the Kottayam Medical College. “The body of the newborn was found in a plastic bag. The woman said that she gave birth to a stillborn baby. Only after the autopsy can we reveal the actual reason behind the baby’s death" the Deputy SP said.

The police have registered a case under section 174 (unnatural death) of the Indian Penal Code.

After the preliminary inquiry, the police suspect that the woman was in a relationship with a resident of Maniyarankudy in Idukki. “However, the man married another woman and divorced her later. Two months ago, he took his own life,” the official added.

The police said that the girl was pregnant allegedly at the time of her relationship with the man. She even managed to hide her pregnancy while she attended regular classes in the college.