A newborn girl died after a 16-year-old allegedly threw her out of a nursing home's washroom window shortly after giving birth in West Bengal's Hooghly district on Saturday, police said. The incident occurred at a nursing home run by the Uttarpara Municipality, where the teenager had been admitted by her family late on Friday night after complaining of severe abdominal pain.
According to a senior officer of Uttarpara police station, the girl went to the washroom on Saturday morning after her pain intensified and delivered the baby without any assistance. The nursing home authorities alleged that she subsequently threw the newborn out through the washroom window.
The baby was found lying in a pool of blood by a passerby, who alerted the authorities. A nurse rushed to the spot and attempted to bring the newborn inside, but found that the baby had died. Police confirmed that the newborn was a girl.
Family claims it was unaware of pregnancy
The teenager's family members claimed that they had no knowledge of her pregnancy and had brought her to the nursing home believing that she was suffering from an ordinary bout of abdominal pain.
The girl's mother told reporters that her daughter had complained of severe abdominal pain on Friday evening, following which the family took her to the nursing home. She said they received a call from the facility on Saturday morning and learnt about the incident only then.
The police officer said the family's claims were being verified. He added that the nursing home staff had reportedly asked the family about the possibility of pregnancy when the girl was admitted, but they maintained that they knew nothing about it.
Nursing home owner recounts events
Nursing home owner Sucheta Mukherjee said the teenager was admitted late on Friday night and underwent a blood test on Saturday morning.
According to Mukherjee, the girl's abdominal pain became more severe the following morning, prompting her to walk to the toilet on her own. She delivered the baby there without assistance and allegedly threw the newborn out through the window, the nursing home owner claimed.
Mukherjee also said the staff had repeatedly questioned the family about whether the teenager could be pregnant at the time of admission, but the family denied having any knowledge of it.
Police to examine CCTV footage, investigate all aspects
Police have taken cognisance of the incident and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the newborn's death.
The officer said investigators would examine CCTV footage from the nursing home and question the teenager's parents and other family members. A post-mortem examination is also likely to be conducted on the newborn to establish the cause of death.
Police said appropriate action would be taken based on the findings of the investigation.
Meanwhile, some local residents alleged that this was not the first such incident at the nursing home. Sankha Subhra Banerjee, a local resident, claimed that a foetus had been recovered from the premises on an earlier occasion as well.
"This is quite a frequent occurrence," he alleged.
The police have not yet confirmed the local resident's claims, and the investigation into Saturday's incident is continuing.