UP: Abandoned newborn found dead in Ballia hospital premises, animal attack suspected

Ballia (UP), Oct 7 (PTI) A newborn abandoned by the mother was found dead on the district hospital premises here, allegedly after being attacked by an animal, officials said on Tuesday.

The chief medical superintendent (CMS) of the hospital, Dr S K Yadav, said the incident occurred on Sunday night when an unmarried woman came to the emergency ward complaining of abdominal pain.

She later delivered a baby but abandoned the newborn at a secluded spot on the hospital premises before leaving. By the time security personnel noticed the newborn, the baby had died, Yadav said.

The newborn’s hands and legs bore marks that resembled an animal attack, he added.

The CMO said such distressing incidents occasionally occur when women, fearing social stigma, abandon their babies after childbirth.

City police station in-charge Kshitij Tripathi said the body has been sent for post-mortem examination, and a probe has been launched into the matter. PTI COR ABN ARI