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Dumped remains found not related to female foeticide
K.V. Subramanya and Sahana Charan
| Forensic tests reveal all seven had congenital abnormalities |
Initial reports put the number of foetuses at 20
Police inquiry will be conducted, says Ashok
BANGALORE: Forensic examination of the foetuses, which were found in three bags at a garbage heap near Jakkarayanakere in Bangalore on Sunday, has revealed that all of them were between one-and-a-half months to six-and-a-half months old and had congenital abnormalities.
Contrary to the initial reports that there were about 20 foetuses, there were only seven, five male and two female, said the police, who also clarified that it was not a case of female foeticide as thought earlier.
Even as investigations are on to ascertain who had dumped the foetuses, highly placed sources in the Police Department told The Hindu on Monday that they suspected the staff from a private hospital.
Expert’s view
D.K. Devdas, Head of the Department of Forensic Medicine at Victoria Hospital here, who conducted the autopsy, said, “The smallest foetus was just two inches in size.
While one was found to have a very small head with an underdeveloped brain (anencephaly), another’s head was too large and filled with water (hydrocephaly). One foetus had spinal malformation while the others had facial deformities. None of them would have survived their full term.”
He said that a uterus, placenta and a fibroid were also found in the bags containing the foetuses. “All the foetuses and the other human material had been preserved in formaldehyde, which indicates that they were being used for teaching purposes at a medical institution,” Dr. Devdas said.
Reason
Doctors at Victoria Hospital suggested that the deformities in the foetuses may have shown up during ultrasound scanning of pregnant women, and thus they may have been aborted.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Syed Ulfath Hussein too said that the foetuses could have been aborted after the congenital abnormalities were detected.
Mr. Hussein said the Sriramapuram police had registered a case under Section 318 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
According to the section, “Whoever, by secretly burying or otherwise disposing of the dead body of a child whether such child died before or during its birth, intentionally conceals or endeavours to conceal the birth of such child, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.”
Report
Minister for Health and Family Welfare R. Ashok told presspersons that a police inquiry would be conducted into the incident to ascertain who had dumped the foetuses.
Minister’s visit
The Health Minister has sought a report to be submitted in 10 days.
Minister for Women and Child Welfare H.K. Kumaraswamy visited Victoria Hospital on Friday and inspected the foetuses.
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