KOCHI: Days after a suspected victim of sexual assault murdered her newborn in Kochi, a 22-year-old was found to have given birth in the bathroom of a city hostel, according to police.
The unwed woman from Kollam, who is employed with a private firm in Kochi, delivered a baby boy in the bathroom of the private hostel on Sunday morning.
The matter came to light when hostel mates force opened the bathroom door which had remained locked for a long time. On being alerted by hostel authorities, Ernakulam North police reached the spot and shifted the mother and baby to a hospital.
“The woman and child were shifted to a nearby hospital and are both safe,” an officer said.
Her family has been informed, and a friend had reached the hospital, the officer said. Her hostel mates were unaware of the pregnancy. The child weighing 2.8kg is healthy, according to hospital authorities.
The young woman had arrived in Kochi over three months ago after landing a job with the private firm. She informed the child’s father, who along with his parents were called into the station. As the woman has not lodged a formal complaint, no case has been registered.
On May 3, a 23-year-old who had concealed her pregnancy delivered a baby in the early hours of Friday in her apartment bathroom. She allegedly then proceeded to throw the newborn onto the street in front of her flat complex in Panampilly Nagar. The baby was found dead and the woman was arrested.