MALAPPURAM: What should have been a moment of joy turned into a devastating tragedy for a family in Chattiparamba, Malappuram, when 35-year-old Asma lost her life hours after giving birth to a boy — her fifth delivery — within the confines of her rented house, without medical supervision.
Asma’s family has accused her husband, Sirajuddin, who is now at the centre of a police investigation, of negligence and deliberate denial of medical care.
According to police reports, Asma gave birth around 6 pm on Saturday. Three hours later, she was found unresponsive. Sirajuddin, who runs a religious YouTube channel, allegedly failed to seek medical help when Asma went into labour. He reportedly called an ambulance only after she stopped breathing.
The case took a disturbing turn when Sirajuddin attempted to shift the body to Perumbavoor for burial without notifying Asma’s immediate family. The ambulance driver, sensing something was amiss, alerted authorities. Police intervened and redirected the body to Perumbavoor Taluk Hospital for postmortem. According to hospital authorities, the postmortem will be conducted on Monday.
Tensions flared when Asma’s relatives confronted Sirajuddin. He was reportedly assaulted and is currently receiving treatment at a local hospital. The baby has been shifted to medical care and is reportedly in stable condition.
Asma’s family claimed that only the first two of her five deliveries took place in a hospital. They allege that despite warnings from family and medical professionals about the risks of a home birth — especially given her age and previous complications — Sirajuddin insisted on avoiding hospitals, citing personal beliefs and previous home birth experiences.
“Asma told us over the phone that she had delivered a baby boy around 6 pm,” a family member said. “But by the time we were informed of her death — nearly six hours later — it was too late. Why didn’t they call us or the hospital when things went wrong?” Local residents described the family as reclusive. Shockingly, many were unaware that Asma was even pregnant.
Perumbavoor police have filed a case of unnatural death, but are not ruling out more serious charges pending the autopsy.
‘Childbirth fatal if not in hosp setting’
The tragedy has reignited conversations about the dangers of home births without medical supervision. Dr V Meenakshi, additional director of family welfare in the state health department, emphasised that while childbirth may appear routine, it is fraught with risks such as excessive bleeding, prolonged labour, infections, and sudden blood-pressure fluctuations — all of which can prove fatal if not managed immediately in a hospital setting.
“Kerala has achieved a maternal mortality rate of 19 per 100,000 births — one of the lowest in the country — primarily because over 99% of births take place in hospitals,” Dr Meenakshi noted. “This case is a tragic reminder of what can happen when that system is bypassed.” Recently, a family in Kozhikode that opted for home birth faced bureaucratic hurdles in obtaining a birth certificate for their child, born last November, pointing to how home births remain an outlier – and often problematic – in Kerala’s otherwise robust healthcare ecosystem.
The father, Sharafath, has filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission against health department officials citing denial of a birth certificate.
‘Denial of med care’
Asma’s family has accused her husband, Sirajuddin of negligence and deliberate denial of medical care.
Hospital authorities said autopsy will be held on Monday.