Chhattisgarh cops exhume body of rape victim's child for DNA test

Days after the rape victim gave birth and the child died in Chhattisgarh, police exhumed the infant's skeleton to conduct DNA tests. The tests are being conducted as the accused refused to accept that he was the biological father of the child.

Kondagaon:Chhattisgarh police on Sunday exhumed the infant's skeleton to conduct Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test in Pharasgaon. The body of the rape victim's child was exhumed barely forty days after the minor victim gave birth to the baby.

The police exhumed the child’s body on Sunday in the presence of District Magistrate. The police said that the victim's family buried the body of the child without informing the police.

Station House Officer Vinod Sahu said, "A rape victim, who was eight months pregnant, gave birth to a child on January 19 but the accused had disowned him. We have collected samples for DNA test to confirm whether the accused is the biological father of the child or not. The child died on January 28 and the family members of the victim buried the body inside their house without informing the authorities. Today, the body of the child was exhumed in the presence of District Magistrate."

Sahu added that the victim-a 17-year-old minor- lodged a complaint stating that she was raped. The victim in her complaint alleged that a man named Pushkar raped her and threatened her not to report the crime or else she would face dire consequences.

Police said that the accused was sent to judicial remand on December 6, 2020, adding that further investigation is underway and body has been sent for post-mortem.