BENGALURU: In a horrific incident, a premature baby was found flushed down the toilet of a private hospital in Harohalli, Ramanagara district.
The newborn’s body was found in the ground floor toilet in the Neurology department of Dayananda Sagar Hospital, part of Dr Chandramma Dayananda Sagar Institute of Medical Education & Research (CDSIMER), when the staff noticed a blockage on Wednesday morning and called sweepers and plumbers to fix the clogged commode.
A senior police officer told TNIE that the toilet, although part of the hospital, was open to the public. “The toilet on the ground floor was used by outsiders and treated like a public washroom. We are investigating whether the accused was a hospital patient or an outsider who came on the pretext of using the restroom and flushed the body,” police said.
The cleaning staff noticed something obstructing the water flow and initially assumed it was cloth or waste.
They were horrified to find the body of a newborn, which was removed using equipment typically used to clear toilet blockages. It is believed the infant was one or two days old.
Police sent the body for postmortem, and suspect that the accused may have attempted to conceal the baby’s birth. Police are reviewing CCTV footage from the hospital to gather clues about the suspects. They said no complaint had been filed about a missing newborn and suspected the mother may be involved, or the baby was brought from elsewhere.
The hospital management refused to comment on the incident. Harohalli police registered a case under BNS Section 94 — concealment of a child’s birth by burying or disposing of the child’s body in a secret manner.