A deeply disturbing incident unfolded at the civil hospital in Indore district of Madhya Pradesh, where a stray dog was seen carrying the body of a dead newborn in its jaws near the hospital’s toilet in the early hours of Saturday (June 7). The body was later retrieved by a security guard in Mhow who managed to chase the dog away.
Shocking discovery and suspected timeline
CCTV footage revealed that the sequence of events occurred between 1:30 am and 2:00 am. Hospital in-charge Dr HR Verma stated that a 17-year-old girl had been admitted around 9:00 on Friday (June 6) with complaints of abdominal pain. She was later seen entering the toilet area around the time of the incident and reportedly left the hospital shortly afterwards with an unidentified man. Authorities suspect the girl may have delivered the baby in the toilet.
Initial medical findings
The newborn is believed to have been stillborn and prematurely delivered. A postmortem was conducted, and results are awaited. According to Dr Verma, the infant’s body was found mutilated, likely partially eaten by a stray dog.
Security lapses and measures
Hospital officials admitted that all three hospital gates were open at night, which likely allowed stray dogs to enter, particularly through a gate near the storeroom. In response, Dr Verma has ordered that all gates be locked at night and security personnel be posted at the main entrance to monitor movement and prevent animals from entering.
Ongoing police investigation
Mhow Police Station in-charge Rahul Sharma confirmed that an investigation has been launched. Authorities have received CCTV footage and patient admission records to assist in tracing the individuals involved and understanding the circumstances leading up to the incident.
Recent context
This incident follows closely on the heels of another tragic event in MP's Mandsaur district, where a four-year-old boy was killed by a pack of stray dogs earlier in the week, further intensifying concerns around public safety and stray animal control in the state.
(With inputs from Bharat Patil)