CUTTACK: In a bizarre incident, a six-month-old baby boy died after one of his parents allegedly trampled over him in an inebriated state late on Monday night.
The incident took place at Munda Sahi within Choudwar police limits. The infant’s parents have been identified as Raju Hembram and Sombhari Hembram. Apart from the son, the couple has four daughters.
As per their neighbours, Raju had brought some of his friends home late on Monday night. His wife Sombhari too, joined in and all of them consumed alcohol. After having dinner, the couple went to sleep.
However, locals found the couple hurriedly burying their baby in the wee hours of Tuesday. Suspecting foul play, they immediately informed the police. A team reached the spot, exhumed the baby’s body and sent it to SCB medical college and hospital for postmortem.
The neighbours alleged that the death of the baby was caused by the couple. When the couple went to sleep next to the baby, one of them allegedly slept over the latter under the influence of alcohol. When they woke up at around 4 am, they realised the baby had died, the neighbours alleged.
Police took the couple for interrogation. On being quizzed, they refuted the neighbours’ allegations and claimed he was suffering from viral fever and had other heart-related diseases which caused his death.
Inspector in-charge (IIC) of Choudwar police station Biswa Ranjan Sahu said the couple was sent back home after questioning. “An unnatural death case has been registered and postmortem report awaited to decide the further course of action,” he added.