Newborn's body exhumed in Tamil Nadu village; female infanticide suspected

Revenue and health officials exhumed the body of a two-day-old baby and conducted a postmortem on Saturday. The police suspect it to be a case of female infanticide. The baby was the third child of J. Thavamurthi and Priya of Irumbuli village.

Tiruvannamalai (Tamil Nadu): Suspecting female infanticide, police and health officials exhumed the body of a two-day-old baby, who was buried by her parents at the community burial ground on Friday in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvannamalai district, and conducted an autopsy on Saturday.

The baby was the third child and second daughter of the couple- Davamoorthy and Priya - of Irumbuli village.

On May 21, Priya gave birth to the baby at Kalasamuthiram primary health centre (PHC) on Wednesday and went home after the delivery. Next day, the couple brought the newborn back to the hospital with a complaint of breathing problem.

Citing bad health, the child was referred to Vellore Government Medical College Hospital where the doctors declared the child brought dead.

The complainant, Kalasamuthiram PHC medical officer Dr. Akshitha lodged a complaint against the couple suspecting infanticide.

"Priya's husband and mother-in-law fed the baby with cow's milk which causes digestive and breathing difficulties and can even lead to death in newborns," said Akshitha.

Acting on the complaint, the Kannamangalam police registered a case under section 174 (unnatural death) under CrPC.

The medical team conducted the postmortem and the body was later buried.

"We would follow up with the case soon after we receive the reports. The report will come to us within a week's time, " said a senior police official from the district.