CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Monday issued notice to the State Government and the SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) authorities over the allegations of child swapping in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) Department recently.
The petitioner, Sushant Mallick, had sought a DNA test to establish the parentage of the girl child in question. Sushant and his family have refused to accept the baby girl as their own since her birth on March 30 alleging that the child born to the mother Rashmita Mallik was a boy.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice V Gopalagowda and Justice SK Mishra has also issued notice to Dr RK Behera, who had delivered the baby, through a special messenger. The Court, while directing the Government advocate to obtain information on the case, has asked the Government and the SCBMCH to file their responses by the next date of hearing posted for Thursday.
According to the petitioner, Rashmita had been admitted to the O&G Department on March 27 and gave birth to the baby on March 30. He said Dr Behera had attended to Rashmita and a male child was born on 5.20 pm in the presence of her mother Lata Mallick. Soon after the birth, a nurse had reportedly come out to announce delivery of a baby boy to Sushanta and his relatives and sought ` 300 from them.
Meanwhile, Lata was asked by the doctor to go out to get medicines. When she went out she had also informed him of birth of a baby boy. But soon after, the doctors called her in and handed over a female baby. Sushant further alleged that he had filed an FIR in Medical Police Outpost, but no action was taken. While seeking a DNA test to establish that the girl child was not theirs, he has also prayed for payment of compensation.
The SCBMCH authorities on their part are steadfast that the woman had delivered a baby girl. There was no other baby born at the time so as to facilitate swapping. As per their own inquiry report, Rashmita had given birth to a ‘term female baby weighing around 2,700 gm at about 5.25 pm through normal method’.