Medininagar (Jharkhand), Oct 27 (PTI) The Palamu district administration on Tuesday conducted a search operation at the Medinirai Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) after a video purportedly showing a stray dog carrying a newborn on the premises of the medical establishment went viral on social media.
Deputy Commissioner Dilip Pratap Singh Sekhawat told reporters that, taking cognisance of the viral video, the district administration team, led by the DC and SP along with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, conducted a search operation at the hospital premises as part of a probe into the alleged incident.
“We searched various areas of the hospital campus for the newborn, including the vicinity of the post-mortem house and nearby shrubbery,” the DC said.
However, no concrete information regarding the newborn or the dog could be gathered during the initial search, he said.
Subsequently, the DC directed the SDO to coordinate with the MMCH Superintendent, the local Station House Officer (SHO), and a team from the Medininagar Municipal Corporation to ensure a thorough search for the newborn and the dog.
He further instructed that CCTV footage from the area around the post-mortem house be examined, that the police dog squad be deployed, and that inquiries be made with local community health workers, residents, and passers-by to uncover the facts of the case.
“The primary objective of the administration is to locate the newborn, verify the facts surrounding the incident, and uncover any negligence to fix accountability and ensure that appropriate action is taken in accordance with the law,” the DC said.
Later in the evening, the deputy commissioner directed the sealing of a private hospital and ultrasound centre located barely 100 metres from the MMCH.
“A team led by SDO Sadar Sanjay Pandey, MMCH superintendent Dr Ajay Kumar carried out a raid at the private hospital and, based on probe and CCTV footage, it was found that a minor (16-year-old) girl from Pattan block had undergone abortion at this hospital and the newborn body was discarded at the MMCH premises,” the DC told reporters.
A senior administrative official involved in the probe said that in the CCTV footage from the private hospital it came to light that two women were seen leaving the premises at approximately 5:12 am, carrying something in a bag. They were seen entering the MMCH campus and heading toward the post-mortem house. About an hour later, the two women returned to the hospital, but this time, they were no longer carrying the bag.
The administration’s suspicions were confirmed, and upon rigorous questioning, the full truth emerged. It was revealed that an eight-month-old foetus had been aborted—following a procedure performed on a minor girl from the Patan area on Monday night. PTI CORR ANB RG
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