Newborn Found Dead Inside MP Hospital, Marks Found Around Her Neck

A newborn girl allegedly died after being strangled within 16 hours of her birth at a hospital in Madhya Pradesh's Ashoknagar district, with police questioning her family members. The baby was born around 11.50 pm on Friday and was admitted to the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) shortly after birth. She was found unresponsive between 3 pm and 4 pm on Saturday. Doctors noticed blood around her mouth and marks resembling pressure around her neck, prompting the hospital to inform police and send the body for post-mortem examination. Police said an initial medical examination found ligature or compression marks around the infant’s neck, raising suspicion of strangulation, the Indian Express reported.

Investigators are now reconstructing the hours between the newborn’s admission and death, including who handled her and who entered the ward. Police are questioning family members, while investigators are also examining whether the baby’s gender or family circumstances played a role in the suspected killing. The possibility of a family member’s involvement is being examined because access to the SNCU was restricted. The absence of CCTV cameras inside the unit has also made it difficult to immediately determine how the newborn died. The exact cause and circumstances of death will be subject to the post-mortem findings and police investigation.