Police in India have been forced to issue an embarrassing correction after the discovery of the bodies of 14 newborn babies turned out to be nothing more than a case of some improperly disposed-of medical waste.

A bizarre 24 hours in Kolkata began with the discovery of 14 plastic bags among bushes in an unused plot of land. Police cordoned off the site, their suspicions raised by the fact the bags had been sealed and smelled of chemicals.

But the story really took off, and became a state-wide scandal in the making, when the mayor of Kolkata, Sovan Chatterjee, arrived at the scene of the “crime” and told reporters he had been informed that “the bodies of 14 newborn babies have been found”.

The announcement fuelled speculation about an illegal abortion racket and senior city officials started commenting on the discovery. According to the mayor, the city’s police commissioner and deputy commissioner both visited the scene.

“All nearby nursing homes, private hospitals and clinics are under scanner,” Mr Chatterjee added, according to the Indian Express.

Forced to give a press conference, local police chief Nilanjan Biswas backed up the mayor’s assumption that the bags contained human remains, and added his own speculation that they might be foetuses - the term that later appeared in most news reports.

“We will send the plastic bags for post mortem. Only then will we understand if the babies were premature, whether they died before birth or after.”

Just a few hours later, on Sunday night, the results came back. The bags appeared to contain no human tissue at all, but rather simple “medical waste” - used bandages and cotton - although even that is not entirely clear. There was some suggestion they might even be used nappies.

“When doctors opened the packets, they found no human tissue,” said a now chastened Mr Biswas, on the Indian TV channel NDTV.